


Gotham's Own Ladybug

by Miraculous_786



Series: Miraculous: Stories [4]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Evil Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, F/M, Guardian Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Hurt Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Minor Violence, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:55:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 27,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21833287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miraculous_786/pseuds/Miraculous_786
Summary: Damian never expected to fall for the new student, Marinette Iszel. He also never expected her to be a traumatized teenager who watched her mentor disintegrate into ash in front of her, and was actually a missing girl from Paris.When Bruce Wayne sees that Damian knows a girl, who looks suspiciously similar to someone who he saw with the infamous Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, he unknowingly plants the seed for one hell of a surprise for the Wayne family.How will Marinette 'Iszel' keep her two identities a secret when she's being chased by the murderous Chat Noir, who isn't so keen on his Princess away from him?
Relationships: Batfamily Members & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Harleen Quinzel, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Pamela Isley, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Selina Kyle, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Damian Wayne
Series: Miraculous: Stories [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1755973
Comments: 342
Kudos: 1903





	1. Prologue

Thunder clapped in the sky above her, making Marinette flinch in surprise. However, she didn't have time to register the lightning overhead, as something, or rather _someone_ else was chasing her from behind.

The raindrops pelted against the spotted suit she was running in, and the Miracle Box she clutched tightly to her chest. Hot tears from her cheeks mingled with the water dripping down from her fringe.

"Why are you running, M'Lady?" Chat Noir shouted, "Don't you see we're meant for one another?"

The notion of them being 'yin and yang' meaning they loved each other made her want to throw up, but her vomit had already been wasted on the sight of her mentor disintegrating into dust before her eyes.

Ladybug flung her yo-yo desperately in an attempt to make distance, but the deep cut on her dominant arm caused the weapon to bounce off of a lamppost instead.

All of a sudden, a body was thrown into her side, making her clutch it in pain as Chat Noir pinned her down with his own weight.

"Don't you see that I _love_ you, Bugaboo," he whispered in her ear, making an involuntary shiver of disgust roll down her spine.

Marinette rammed her forehead into his, the force of it making him stumble back in pain. She used it to her advantage, scrambling backwards before running across the rooftops again.

In the distance, a baton extended, closing in on where she was. In a final plea, she opened the Miracle Box frantically, and pulled out the Horse miraculous.

Kaalki morphed out of thin air, already aware of what Chat Noir had done because of Wayzz's summary. Flying beside Ladybug as her feet pounded against concrete, the kwami readied herself to teleport the Guardian away on their command.

Sure enough, when Chat Noir extended his baton upwards, bringing himself with it, she exclaimed, "Somewhere safe Kaalki, now!"

"Voyage!"

"No!" Chat Noir bellowed, however it was pointless. By the time he had landed on the ground where Ladybug had been, the portal had closed, leaving a smear of blood behind, and an infuriated Adrien Agreste.

**~*~*~**

Poison Ivy lifted her arm up, a nearby plant twisting it's shape to coil around a security camera, and crack the screen.

The woman then proceeded to command a stalk to ram it's way into the condo's window, the shards clattering against the carpeted floor inside.

Harley Quinn chuckled, and said, "Gotta make a dramatic entrance, don't ya, Ivy."

She scoffed and fondly rolled her eyes at the statement, and was about to walk through the destroyed window, when a scream tore through the air.

Whipping their heads around, the two caught sight of a young girl falling from the sky, with what appeared to be a portal closing in midair behind her.

What caused them to act was when they caught a glimpse of the blood and scars littering her body, along with the exhaustion clearly imminent on the small girl's face.

Ivy made the grassy ground beneath her grow upwards, while at the same time causing a large stalk to appear from the ground, cracks surrounding the terrain from where it formed.

Large pink petals bloomed from the top of the stem, as they opened up to show off their pollen centre. The girl landed in the yellow area, a thump showing that Ivy had saved her.

Lifting Harley up from the ground with a vine, the women looked down onto the flower, only to see the young girl passed out from exhaustion and her pain.

Harley gasped, and immediately jumped down to the area where the girl was. There, sat more than a dozen creatures around her, all cuddling up to keep her warm and safe.

"What on Earth...?" Ivy asked, but soon cut herself off when she saw the serious injuries the girl had.

"Harley, I'm going to take us home," she decided, "Stay in the flower with the girl and those animals."

The pale pink petals closed and made a protective cover around them soon after Harley Quinn nodded in agreement.

Crouching down to Marinette, Harley glanced over the damage, before addressing the kwami with, "So...who wants to tell Harley what the hell this cutie pie is doing alone and bleeding?"


	2. One

Marinette gazed at the dull building before her, faltering at the steps. The structure was just around the same size as Francoise DuPont High School, the school that she had been attending not so long ago. She looked down, deep in thought.

What if she couldn't do this? What if someone recognised her?

The only comfort she had was the nuzzling of two kwamis, nestled within her blazer pocket, not only for warmth, but to calm her.

With a deep breath, Marinette made her way up the school steps to the doors of the school, opened them, and peeked inside.

The first thing that caught her eye was that the hallway seemed relatively empty, save for a few groups of students chatting idly here and there.

With new-found confidence, mainly from Tikki and Kaalki's presence, she strode from the entrance to the head office, trying to ignore the snippets of conversation she caught revolving around her.

When she reached the office, a woman wearing a thick set of rimmed glasses looked up, ginger hair flowing from the movement. "What can I do for you?" she asked, a welcoming smile on her face.

Marinette found herself unconsciously relaxing, as she greeted with, "Hello, I'm a new student here, and I was hoping for a timetable please?"

The woman immediately picked up on her heavy French accent, but didn't mention or ask about it. After a few seconds of typing on the keyboard in front of her, the young woman questioned, "Right. Marinette Iszel, correct?"

Marinette nodded hastily, anxious that her false surname would be criticized. She mentally let out a sigh of relief when the woman only said, "Okay, here's your timetable."

Handing over the sheet of paper, she informed, "Your tour guide should be here soon."

Marinette's brows furrowed, but before she could say anything, a male voice called, "Mrs Simmonds, you wanted me to see you today?"

She looked behind her, and saw a teen with dark hair and cloudy green eyes, that seemed to shimmer with wonder as they met hers. Another pair of emerald irises wormed their way into her mind, until Mrs Simmonds exclaimed, "Yes, Damian!"

Said boy broke the eye contact from Marinette, glancing at the woman as she explained, "You will be giving this new student a tour of the school, and help her out for the day."

Damian saw how the girl beside him tensed, fidgeting with her fingers, before turning to him and greeting, "My name is Marinette, and it's a pleasure to meet you, Damian."

She held her hand out, and he shook it, almost in a daze. He took in her freckled face and bluebell eyes, that seemed to stare into his as he studied her. Red ribbons held her midnight hair in pigtails, that almost appeared navy in the sunlight.

"Marinette has just moved to Gotham, Damian. So, I'm expecting you to make her feel welcome, and show respect," the woman said in a stern tone, receiving a nod from Damian.

"Great!" she said, "Have a good day, Marinette! Hopefully you can get used to Gotham Academy!"

"Thank you." Damian then walked out of the office, Marinette in tow. She noticed how most students had now cleared out of the hall, leaving them alone.

It was quiet for a few seconds, until Marinette broke it by saying, "I'm sorry."

Damian turned in her direction, and asked, "Sorry for what?"

"Stopping you from learning in lessons because I needed a tour guide," she responded truthfully, head faced down. Damian was caught by surprise, mouth agape.

"Don't worry, Marinette," he assured, "It wasn't a bother. Besides, I have an excuse to miss out on lessons."

That coaxed a giggle out of her, and a small smile spread on Damian's face. Her laughter almost sounded like tinkling bells in his ears, however he shook off the thought of wanting to hear it more.

"Let's begin the tour then," he casually said, already walking off and planning their route of the building in his head. She followed close by, and Damian took note of how her eyes seemed to dart from the shadowed areas of the corridor back to what was in front of her.

 _Strange_ , he thought.

**~*~*~**

The shrill sound of the dismissive school bell rung, signifying that the students could leave. Marinette placed her sketchbook in her backpack, thankful that she still had it and it's belongings after the whole debacle of teleporting to Gotham.

A few minutes prior, Damian and Marinette had sat down together in the spacious library, with the girl quick to sketch out ideas with her pencil. Damian noted how her tongue ever so slightly stuck out of her mouth while she worked, and had to fight the blush forming on his face.

Throughout the day, Damian had become less guarded around Marinette, and begun to confide in her about his life. She learnt that he spoke fluent French, which was great news for her, had three adoptive brothers, and a butler in his home.

It almost reminded her of her partner- well, the person who used to be anyway, with his subtle hinting at living in a mansion with his Father's assistant. She almost pitied Chat Noir, before she remembered what he'd done.

_Master Fu._

It had taken a few nudges from Tikki and a concerned Damian Wayne to break her out of her stupor, and carry on following the tour guide. The building was much larger on the inside, sporting gargoyle statues and grey carpets, though the dull atmosphere didn't steer her away from her creative side.

They both walked out of the school doors beside each other, Marinette glancing around for the distinct car that would take her home. When she finally noticed it, she turned to Damian, and thanked, "I really appreciate you showing me around today," she giggled, "Even if you didn't exactly have a choice."

Damian gave a small smirk, saying, "It wasn't a big deal, Angel." It wasn't until Marinette's face was dusted in pink that he'd realised what he'd called her.

"S-sorry!" he apologised, only for Marinette to assure, "Don't worry Dami, you can call me that nickname if you want."

Her head hung low as she mumbled, "As long as you don't call me what he did."

Damian lifted a brow, and asked, "What did 'he' call you?"

Only now noticing he was still there, she requested, "Is it okay if you don't call me 'Princess' or 'M'Lady'?"

Even though he couldn't understand who had called her that, or why she didn't like the names, he nodded in understanding. "Thanks," she said, smiling.

A buzzing noise broke through the comfortable silence, as Marinette pulled out the phone from her blazer pocket, checking to see who the caller was. Her eyes widened, and she sent a glance to the silver Mercedes parked across the road.

"Oh! Sorry, Dami! One of my aunts is here to pick me up! So...I'll see you tomorrow?" she fumbled, twiddling with her fingers.

Damian noticed that it was a habit of hers when she was nervous, and so he placed a hand on her shoulder, only for her to flinch in response. Straight away, she took in what she did, and said, "I-I'm sorry, Damian! B-bye!"

Her feet led her to the Mercedes, as she pointedly ignored the gaze she felt watching her enter the car. The windows were tinted a solid black, preventing Damian from seeing who was in it.

The driver only waited a second, before driving off at a speed that was definitely over the limit by a few miles. Damian broke out from his daze, and pondered as to why Marinette had recoiled from his touch.

Was he that intimidating?

Why did her discomfort bring him discomfort too?


	3. Two

The moon's light showered Gotham in an ethereal glow, a dark silhouette of the buildings visible if you looked. Stars dotted the black sky, accompanying the shimmering crescent situated in it.

Robin leaped across another rooftop, his cape flowing elegantly behind his figure. The only noises in the night were his muted footsteps, and the conversation in his earpiece.

"Any crimes in your area?" Red Robin asked, as Damian somersaulted again after making impact with the cement beneath him.

"None in mine," Jason replied, as Nightwing answered "None that I've seen," shortly after.

"Robin, what about you?" Tim questioned when he hadn't said anything.

Damian stopped moving for a few seconds, panting lightly on a roof. "Haven't been able to find any."

Red Hood let out an audible sigh of relief, as he breathed, "Wow! One night without any problems? That's a first!"

"You're telling me. I expected at least a mugging or bank robbery, but nothing? Huh," Richard mused, "Guess that means we can go back to the manor now."

As if he had just jinxed it, the boys heard the gruff voice of Batman inform, "I think I just spotted Harley and Ivy nearby."

"Are they committing a crime?"

"No, Nightwing. They're actually walking out of a grocery store-" their eyebrows rose, "-with items in bags. Pretty sure they've payed for it too."

There was an awkward silence, soon broken by Tim suggesting, "Guess that means we can do one last check before heading off home. Wanna do it together?"

The brothers collectively agreed, and soon they met up at a particular gargoyle situated nearby Wayne Enterprises. Robin and Red Hood surveyed the left, while Nightwing and Red Robin searched the right.

It was when they had just believed that everything was safe that a buzzing noise echoed in their ears. All boys looked around in confusion, before Damian reached for the phone hidden in his utility belt.

"What's wrong?" Bruce asked, noticing how his adopted sons had gone silent through his earpiece. Instead of an answer, Robin shot his grappling hook onto a roof, latching it onto the edge.

As he let himself up, he shot a quick glare at the trio, and muttered, "I need to silence my earpiece."

Before they could argue, Robin leaped across several more roofs, and answered the phone mid-leap.

"Dami?" a feminine voice asked, making Damian relax against a brick wall.

"Hey, how's it going? Are you okay?" he quizzed, scenarios already rushing through his head that had made her call him at this hour.

There was a slight scuffling on the other end, until she replied, "Oh! No, I just wanted to know what your favourite colours were!"

His brows shot up, though it was hard to tell beneath his domino mask. "...What?"

"Oh no! I'm so sorry!" Marinette fumbled, "Did I wake you up? Are you in the middle of something important?"

"No, no. Don't worry Angel," he assured, "Why do you want to know my favourite colours?"

There was more shuffling from where she was, before Marinette replied, "Well, remember how I told you I really like sewing? I decided that I wanted to make you something, and I want to know what fabric colour to use."

The corner of Damian's lips twitched upward, as he informed, "Probably red, green and yellow are my favourites. Though I prefer dark shades of green and red."

A faint scribbling noise could be heard, but was soon covered up by Marinette saying, "Thank you! Now I can find them in this store!"

Damian snuck a glance at the corner of his phone screen, noting how it was quite late in the evening. "Wait, what store are you in?"

"Umm...Lucky's. Why, exactly?" Marinette asked, confused as to why he wanted to know.

"Just to see where the fabric will be from."

Thankfully, she seemed to take it as a suitable answer, and said, "I'm going to go look for the materials I need. Talk to you tomorrow?"

He sighed, and parted with, "Bye, Angel."

After she cut him off, he placed the phone back into his belt, and prepared his ear for the onslaught of incoming questions. As soon as he unsilenced his earpiece, several male voices began overlapping each other simultaneously.

"-emon Spawn has a girlfriend?!"

"Brat, who the heck is Angel?"

"I'm so proud of you, Baby Bird!" Robin managed to make out Dick saying, "You managed to make yourself a friend!"

"You act like I don't have any friends," he muttered, causing the brothers to go quiet at his presence.

"Demon Spawn! Did you seriously do something to make that girl be your friend?"

"No, I didn't!" he denied, "She was a new student at school today, and I had to act as her tour guide."

Robin didn't finish explaining, as he used his grappling hook to swing in the direction of Lucky's. Red Hood unfortunately spotted Damian in the corner of his eye, and followed closely behind.

When Damian arrived at the fabric shop, a young female strolled out of the entrance, bags of fabric in her hands. Her hair was easily recognisable to be in pigtails, and the nearby streetlamps caused her locks to appear a dark navy.

A male voice rang out in Damian's ear. "So, Demon Spawn. I'm guessing that's your girlfriend."

A blush obscured by his costume began to crawl it's way up his neck, but before he could be teased, Red Robin said, "Where is she going?"

The males simultaneously turned their heads to where Marinette was walking, and just managed to catch her turn into an alleyway. They all leaped onto the rooftop to the side of it, and saw her peering about her surroundings.

Thankfully, she didn't look up, leaving the quartet unseen from her vision. "You said she was a new student, right?" Nightwing asked, "She wouldn't by any chance be new to Gotham too?"

"She's French," Robin replied, "And she's from Paris, I'm pretty sure. Explains why she isn't concerned about going outside this late."

Marinette glanced down at her purse, a new one her aunts had purchased after moving in with them in Gotham. She felt Tikki push against her thigh, a signal that the kwami was ready to transfer her magic to Marinette.

Just as she was about to say the transformation phrase, footsteps from behind made her swivel her head backwards, where she saw a man adorning a balaclava.

Immediately, the grip on her bags tightened, as the older man said, "What are you doing out this late, young lady?"

The nickname 'lady' caused memories to flash before her eyes, but she decided to focus on how the man inched forward slowly, a pocketknife in his left hand. She dropped her bags onto the ground, softly so as to not damage the material inside.

The man seemed confused, yet carried on slinking forward. Narrowing her eyes, she charged forward, kicking him in the gut and causing the knife to clatter to the ground. She hit it with her foot, making it slide further away from the criminal.

Grabbing the man's arm, she turned around, and pulled him over her shoulder, his back making impact with the solid ground.

She ran to the shopping bags, and looked back at the man, seeing him stand back up with an angry expression. Taking a step back, her eyes darted around the environment, searching for any way to escape.

However, a sharp object soon sailed past Marinette's head, in the direction of the criminal in front of her. Catching the moonlight reflecting off of it, she made it out to be another knife.

The quartet on the roof could only watch in utter confusion as the infamous Cat Woman was visible in the shadows where the knife had come from. From the precision of the aim, cat ears, and costume that blended in with the night, they all recognised who she was, apart from the French teenager below.

"Chat Noir?" a female asked in horror, "Qu'est-ce que tu fais ici? Comment m'as-tu trouvé?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Chat Noir? What are you doing here? How did you find me?"


	4. Three

Red Robin, Nightwing and Robin, all fluent in French, were visibly startled by what Marinette had asked. Meanwhile, Red Hood glanced over at their puzzled expressions, and Cat Woman simply said, "What?"

However, the female didn't get an answer, as Marinette began to sprint straight past the frozen mugger, and out of the alley. Her heartbeat quickened in fear, as she blindly ran to any place that was void of the figure clad in black. Robin spotted Marinette running out, and started to grapple in the direction she went.

His brothers all landed on the ground, Nightwing going over to Selina whilst Red Robin and Red Hood restrained the criminal nearby.

"Since when did you go by the name 'Black Cat'?" Richard questioned Selina, before she replied, "I don't, I have no idea why she called me that."

"I need your help to look for Marinette!" they heard Damian exclaim on their earpieces, catching their attention because of his unusually frantic tone. Sure enough, the trio noticed her absence, making Red Robin scale a fire escape close by to get onto the rooftops.

"I'll take care of this guy," Red Hood stated, holding the scared mugger with his hands behind his back. Nightwing nodded, turning back to Cat Woman.

She pulled her goggles down, preparing to search for Marinette, which Richard took note of. "Why are you after her?" he quizzed, "Did you do something to scare her?"

"None of your business. Neither is it Batman's."

Then, she thew a caltrop at a wall, using it to leap onto a pipe, and climb upwards, away from the male. Using the trackers on his brothers, he made his way over to where they were on the roofs.

When he found them, he saw Red Robin standing next to a pacing Robin, who had his head in his hands. At the same time, he kept calling Marinette on his phone, hoping for an answer. On the seventh call, Nightwing placed a hand on his left shoulder, only for him to hit it away, and start recording a voicemail.

"Marinette? I just noticed what time it is, and when you called. Are you sure you should be out at this hour? Just..." Damian ran a hand down his face, taking a deep breath, "Just call to let me know you're safe when you get this, okay Angel?"

The Bats all mentally commended his ability to keep his voice level with all of the stressed movements he was making during the call, and watched as he ended the voicemail with gritted teeth. Cautiously, Tim approached the tense boy, but stopped when he gave him his signature glare, though it was slightly less intimidating than usual.

"We get your worried about her Brat, bu-"

"Of course I'm worried about her! She's probably the first tolerable person I've met in my life-"

"Okay, that is offensive," Jason piped up on his earpiece.

"-and she doesn't understand how the hell Gotham works!"

Nightwing stepped in, effectively cutting off the starting argument, by saying, "Robin, I'm pretty sure she's going to be safe." The males both looked at him, with Red Hood landing silently nearby to join the conversation.

"Cat Woman was obviously trying to find her for some reason, and since she saved your friend from that mugger, I'm guessing Selina isn't going to do anything to harm her."

Though it wasn't completely assuring, they all saw the tightness of Damian's body lessen, until a buzzing noise cut through the silence again. Robin immediately breathed an audible sigh of relief at the sight of the caller on his phone, and put the electronic up to his ear, answering.

"Dami?" Marinette asked, as soon as Robin accepted the call, "I've made it home okay."

"Angel," he breathed, "You can't go outside in Gotham that late, especially since you're so young."

She quietly sniffled. "Sorry. I shouldn't have scared you like that."

"Are you okay? Did anything happen?"

"Umm..." her voice wavered slightly, "No, nothing...nothing happened. I'm fine."

Behind his helmet, Red Hood raised an eyebrow, while Tim listened to how it seemed as if her voice was somewhat strained.

Damian looked like he wanted to push her on the issue, but decided against it. He simply said, "That's good. I'll see you in school tomorrow?"

On the other end, Marinette mentally sighed in relief, before she agreed, "Yeah, you will. Bonne nuit, Damian."

"Et vous, Marinette."

He hung up, placing the device back into his utility belt, and pulled out his grappling hook. Before Damian could shoot the line, he glanced back at his brothers, only to see different facial expressions on all of them, not including Jason, who most certainly had a cheeky grin on his face beneath the helmet he wore.

"...Why are you all looking at me like that?" Robin bluntly asked, giving Red Hood specifically a glare because of his quiet snickering.

"'Angel', Baby Bird?"

That was when Damian realised he probably should have taken the call away from his teasing brothers.


	5. Four

As soon as Marinette had seen the cat ears resting on the person's head, she had ran. Ran until she could get the image out of her head.

Faintly, she could hear the noise of a grappling hook being shot, and so she sprinted faster, eventually turning into an alleyway, lit up by nearby lampposts.

By now, she was mumbling incoherently in French, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. Opening up her purse, Marinette allowed Kaalki to fly out, before slipping on the Horse miraculous.

"Kaalki, Full Gallop!" she exclaimed, the transformation changing her outfit into brown leather. "Voyage!"

Spinning her arm into a circle, she formed a green portal from thin air, and jumped through, a second before Robin peeked down the particular alleyway.

Thankfully, she had thrown her fabric bags inside with her too, leaving the vigilante to carry on searching elsewhere.

The portal had brought her to the living room in her home, where she lay in a bundle on the floor with water now trickling from her eyes.

Drawn out from the sobs she heard, Harley Quinn came out of the kitchen, only to see Marinette crying, and the kwami from the Miracle Box all huddled near her.

Some nuzzled her cheek, and a few others slowly stroked her dark hair with their paws in a way to reassure her safety.

"Sweetie pie! What happened?" the clown questioned, gently scooping the teenager up and pulling her in for a hug. Marinette clung onto Harley, panting with her eyelids shut tight.

"H-he was t-there. C-Chat Noir," she sobbed, burying her head in the woman's chest.

Threading her fingers through Marinette's locks, Harley assured, "Honey, don't worry. That was Selina, we told her to take you home after you got your fabrics."

"Y-you did?"

"I'm so sorry, sugar," she apologised, "We should have told her to get you without the costume. After what that mangy cat did to you, I don't blame you for...-"

A sudden question went through her mind. "What exactly did you do? After you teleported here, I mean."

Furrowing her brows, Marinette looked down, only to blush when she realised that her clothing still consisted of a skintight leather costume.

Pulling off the glasses, Kaalki flew out of them, and Marinette gave her an apologetic look. The kwami only registered what the other beings were doing, and sat on the Guardian's shoulder.

The tears had begun to lessen now, with Harley wiping them away with her thumbs. "I-I just ran away s-since I thought she was h-him."

At the reminder of her old partner, Marinette began to have sudden flashbacks of what had happened to cause her to come to Gotham, soon causing a sob to hitch in her throat.

"Hey, honey. It's okay. We can bake cookies for your little friends over here, if you want to?"

Sniffling, Marinette rubbed her rimmed eyes, before forming a shaky smile. "Y-yeah. I'd like that, Auntie Harley."


	6. Five

After arriving at the Bat Cave, Damian proceeded to pointedly ignore all of the teasing his brothers aimed at him, whilst removing his Robin costume.

Starting off with the domino mask, it took all of Damian's willpower not to shoot a glare at Jason when a blush had formed on his neck, due to the fact that the man had joked that Marinette and him were a couple.

Batman, keeping a stoic expression despite his confusion, questioned, "Dick, I heard you talking to Selina. Did something happen?"

"Yup, Baby Bird here got himself a girlfriend." He gestured to Damian, who had just hung up the Robin suit.

Raising an eyebrow, Bruce asked, "Is the girl okay? I'm assuming she was the one he referred to as 'Angel' on the comms, right?"

Tim laughed, saying, "Man, I thought I was a charmer, but 'Dami'? You had to have been there to see how worried he was about her."

Turning around, Damian caught the slight upturn of his father's lips, as he mused, "'Dami'?"

Said person just growled under his breath, walking towards the Bat computer with gritted teeth. Typing on the keyboard, he pulled up the records of all people attending Gotham Academy, his eyes scanning for [Marinette](https://miraculous786.tumblr.com/post/618704612683333633/gothams-own-ladybug-fanart-miraculous786-i-love).

Jason and Tim only watched, amused, whilst Richard walked up behind Damian and quizzed, "Why are you looking at her school profile?"

His brother only grunted in response, finally finding the girl's name. Clicking on it, an [image](https://miraculous786.tumblr.com/post/190519818287/gothams-own-ladybug-marinettes-school-photo) of the girl appeared, making all of the males focus their gazes on it.

The photo consisted of Marinette in the school's uniform, smiling awkwardly at the camera while a soft light shone on her face. It highlighted the freckles dotted on her cheeks, and defined the specks in her bluebell irises.

Damian found himself fixated on the image, oblivious to the snickering behind him. On her blazer, a miniature pin of a ladybug sat, fastened to the collar.

"She's a keeper, Demon Spawn."

"Todd, if you don't-"

"That's enough," Bruce decided, strolling in front of the computer screen, "It's quite late. You should all be heading to bed."

Nodding reluctantly, Damian's brothers left, leaving him alone with his father as he began to close the profile of his classmate. Standing from the chair, he pushed it under, only to come face to face with Bruce Wayne.

He wasn't intimidated, rather he was slightly annoyed, as Damian maneuvered past the man.

"You should invite her over, Damian," Batman said, still in his costume, "She must be very special if you worried about her as much as you did."

Though the statement seemed like a joke, Damian knew better than to ignore the advice, so he just nodded. "I'll think about it."

Making his way to the exit of the Bat Cave, he didn't notice Bruce turn to the computer to bring back up Marinette's profile.

**~*~*~**

The Mercedes pulled up on the pavement beside Gotham Academy, the tinted windows making students suspiciously turn their heads in secret towards it.

Marinette gently placed Tikki and Kaalki in her blazer pocket, allowing the kwami to nestle themselves into the warmth. Smiling, the girl pulled out the Horse miraculous, putting it on.

The shades morphed into rose pink glasses, with no lenses. Marinette leaned forward, her head poking out from behind the driver's seat.

Poison Ivy placed a sweet kiss on her cheek, reminding her, "Remember, flower. Harley will pick you up after school just like yesterday, okay?"

"Okay," she replied, opening up the car door, "Bye, Auntie."

"See you later, my flower."

Marinette closed the door, glancing at the school entrance. Walking up the steps, she entered Gotham Academy, peering about.

She decided to pull out her timetable, noting that her first lesson was Mathematics. However, the bell wasn't due to ring for another ten minutes, allowing Marinette to carry on searching the building.

In her hands, the box of cookies that she had baked yesterday with Harley sat, waiting to be consumed.

Of course, she had to find a consumer first.

Nervous eyes scanned the crowds, trying to find the male with charcoal hair and a constant frown.

From behind, Marinette picked up on faint footsteps, as she swivelled around. Sighing in relief, she walked up to the approaching male, box held out.

He raised an eyebrow at it, causing Marinette to blush in embarrassment.

"U-umm..." she fumbled, looking to the side, "I thought you would enjoy some cookies I made at home. My parents are bakers, so..."

She gestured to the cookies, before saying, "O-or not! You, you don't have to have them since I'm not trying to force you or anyth-"

"I'd be happy to try them, Angel," Damian stated, smirking at the red on her cheeks.

_Dear Lord. This boy is going to be the end of me._


	7. Six

Pulling on the zip, Marinette opened up her backpack, placing in her prized sketchbook and the empty container that housed several treats hours before. Students around her all began to pack away their equipment and textbooks, including the male next to her.

Marinette gazed at him again, as he slid a bookmark into his book and closed the pages. His dull blonde hair was slicked back, in a way that radiated authority and power. Stormy grey eyes matched the aesthetic of his black tie and monotone personality, whilst also complimenting his overall appearance.

A bell rung loudly in Marinette's ears, making her jump slightly at the noise. Felix only gave her a seemingly passive glance, though the twitching of his lips said otherwise. Pupils clambered out of the entrance, chatter beginning to fill the halls as they finished their class.

Standing up, the teenager pushed her chair under the table after the movement, and turned to the nearby male.

"I hope you enjoyed the cookies, Felix," she said, giving him a small smile.

After a moment, he replied, "They were adequate, Marinette," before sending her a polite nod.

"I'm glad! I'll bring more the next time I have this class!" the girl enthused, "Bye, Felix."

Strolling her way to the exit, she looked straight ahead, missing the slight upturn of her classmate's lips.

When finally walking down the school steps, Marinette caught sight of Damian, and made her way over. As soon as she was a few feet away from him, he turned a speculative eye at her, though his suspicion soon disappeared when he recognised the teenager.

Smiling, she pulled the backpack straps over her shoulders, coming towards his figure. Raising an eyebrow, Damian asked, "You've finished the cookies already?"

Marinette giggled, answering, "You could have just asked for more, Dami."

The sight of her bright grin made something flutter in his chest, however, he wrote it off as nervousness.

"Right," he remarked sarcastically with a fond role of his eyes, "How did you even finish them that fast?"

"Oh! I made quite a few friends by handing them out!" she responded happily, "I got to hang out with Claude, Allegra and Allen in Music class and Felix in English. Thankfully, Felix helped me with some mistakes I made in translation."

Damian took in the information with a nod of his head, reminding himself to research who the first three she mentioned were at the manor. At the reminder of his house, Damian twiddled with the pen in his hand, a habit he couldn't help but perform whenever in the presence of Marinette.

"Angel?" he called, despite mentally facepalming at the nickname once he'd said it again naturally. The reaction from Marinette made his lips twitch, as a rosy flush flooded her freckled cheeks, and she bashfully glanced down.

"Dami! You can't just refer to me as that!" she exclaimed in a hushed whisper, scanning her surroundings as if anticipating someone to overhear their conversation in the flood of students waiting outside.

He barely stifled his snort, instead choosing to send her a small and sly grin, which prompted her to pout childishly and send him a glare through narrowed eyes. She folded her arms and looked to the side after a few seconds of intimidating silence, pink highlighting her cheekbones and two kwami vibrating in amusement within her blazer pocket.

"Well, you are very similar to an angel, Marinette," Damian stated, "You're kind, make treats for strangers and have an ample sense of humour."

Feeling confident, Marinette cheekily said, "'Ample'?" Snorting, she carried on with, "And I thought I was old."

Before Damian could tease back, Marinette noticed a familiar car parked beside the pavement situated across from the school entrance, making her eyes widen.

"I'm so sorry, Dami. My aunts are here to pick me up, so I have to go," she apologised, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

Following her line of sight, the male took note of the vehicle she was darting her eyes back and forth from, quickly realising it was the same as the one that had appeared yesterday.

"Actually, Angel," he started, "My Father recommended that I invite any friends I make over to my house. Perhaps you could join us at the manor now instead of going home?"

"Oh! Umm, well..." Marinette hesitated. "You see...my aunts aren't very keen of me hanging out with boys. Something happened where I moved from and it involved a male. It's one of the reasons I'm not really comfortable with them touching me, since it reminds me of him."

Marinette shivered in memory, recalling all of the times her partner attempted to garner her affections. Thankfully, she was broken out of her thoughts by Damian, as he questioned, "Is the male you're referring to the one who called you those nicknames you dislike?"

Nodding sadly, she returned her gaze back to Damian, eyes glistening. "I'd love to join you at the manor," she decided, "Let me just go ask my aunt first."

Not waiting for an answer, she turned and briskly walked to the Mercedes parked across the road, subtly wiping her eyes before opening the passenger door.

Blonde hair tied in a ponytail, Harley Quinn sat in her leather seat, idly tapping her fingers against the steering wheel out of boredom. When the door to her right opened, she jumped, and watched as Marinette slid into the vehicle, before closing the door behind her.

"Sweetie! I'm glad you're okay!" she cheered, "Ready to go and bake some macaroons at home?"

Nervously, Marinette wrung her fingers, hesitating. "Auntie..."

Picking up on her mood, she rose an eyebrow in a questioning manner, making Marinette carry on. "I was hoping I could go to my friend's house for dinner? They invited me, and it would be kind of rude not to go, right?"

"Well, it depends sweetheart! What's their name?"

"H-his name is-"

"'His'? Okay, okay! No way are you going to go somewhere with another male after what happened with that blonde brat before we foun-"

"Damian Wayne."

Her words made Harley fall into complete silence, as she peered over Marinette's shoulder and spotted a dark-haired teenager waiting at the entrance of Gotham Academy with his body facing the Mercedes. Letting out a smug grin, she met Marinette's eyes, her own twinkling in amusement.

Picking up on the implication, the girl's cheeks turned a bright red, as she buried her face in her hands. "Auntiiiieeee...."

Chuckling, Harley simply patted her head, choosing instead to comfort the female rather than embarrass her more. "You can go, sweetie," she allowed.

In surprise, Marinette shot her head up, blinking twice.

"R-really?"

"Trust me, honey," she answered, "His family are very trustworthy in Gotham, I can assure you. Pretty sure they wouldn't try and kidnap you, since one of them gets held hostage every week if I'm being honest."

A wide grin broke out on her face, as she pulled Harley into a bone-crushing hug. "Thank you so much, Auntie," a muffled voice said from the embrace.

Pushing back slightly, the clown only said, "No problem! Just remember, find somewhere safe to transform if you want to get home quick, otherwise call me, Ivy or Selina, okay?"

Marinette nodded enthusiastically, sending her aunt a blow-kiss and exiting the vehicle. Harley smirked as she saw the girl almost skip to Damian in delight, mouthing something she couldn't tell. Twisting the car keys, the Mercedes' engine roared to life, as it was driven off twenty miles above the speed limit away.


	8. Seven

Stepping into the limousine, Marinette felt smooth leather caress her skin as she took a seat. The faint scent of ginger wafted into her nostrils, making her let out a small smile at the reminder of home.

Damian closed the car door behind her, making his way over to the opposite side.

She felt the seatbelt click into place as she lay her hands on her lap, turning her head up to meet the male's gaze.

He voiced, "Alfred, you can set off to the Manor," before relaxing onto the back of the seat. Marinette copied his movements, and soon the vehicle was lapped into silence as the engine roared to life.

"You don't seem so surprised to be in a limousine," Damian noted, "I expected you to be fawning, or at the very least surprised like everyone else usually is."

Grinning, she shot back, "Well, I guess I'm not like most people."

"I won't disagree with you there, Angel."

A slight blush spread across her freckled cheeks again, as she glanced bashfully to the side.

"I've noticed that you wore glasses to school today," Damian started, "Are they for your eyesight or are they simply an accessory?"

Her eyes widened, suddenly remembering the Horse miraculous that she had decided to adorn. Pushing the spectacles up the bridge of her nose with a finger, Marinette answered with, "No, they're not for my vision. I just think they suit me well, honestly."

"You're not wrong about that."

She giggled as a response, saying, "I think you'd suit glasses too, Dami."

Whilst the two exchanged easy conversation in the back of the vehicle, Alfred watched subtely through the upper mirror, and gently smiled at the clear display of friendship. However, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes at the glasses that Marinette was sporting, noticing that the rose gold rims didn't hold any lenses.

As he was contemplating, Marinette's gaze drifted to the windows, taking in the passing streets and skyscrapers. Damian focused his attention on the girl, seeing her pull out a familiar notebook from her backpack.

Clicking the tip of a pen, she brought it to the paper, and began to sketch out the basic outline of a structure. Out of habit, her tongue slightly stuck out of her mouth, as she eyed the window for any more stone gargoyles in sight.

Damian's lips twitched at the scene, but before they could form into a smile, he caught the knowing eyes of Alfred, and locked his jaw shut. The butler only shook his head in amusement as he turned his attention back to the road.

The teenager craned his slightly flushed neck back to Marinette, yet instead spotted the Manor not too far away at her side.

"Angel?" he called, as Marinette distractedly hummed in response.

"We're almost there, so you might want to pack your book away."

Instead of doing so, she simply scribbled a few notes in French beside a drawn image on her page, and tilted her head in a questioning manner. "Is it okay if I'm able to bring it in with me?"

"You can take your belongings from the limousine, Angel," Damian assured, "However, I don't see the point in taking a sketchbook if we are going to be having dinner in the Manor."

Marinette chuckled lightly, finally slamming the pad shut. "It's something I'm used to doing," she explained, beaming up at his taller figure. "You never know when inspiration can hit, so I tend to carry some sort of notepad or paper if I can in case a new idea strikes."

Though the car slightly shook from the bumpy Gotham roads, Marinette managed to keep eye contact with the male, who was fighting to keep the blush off of his face.

_Where was this confidence when I gave her a tour of the school?_

After a few more minutes of waiting, the limo pulled up at the Wayne Manor - the structure shadowing the three oncomers like a giant. Taking a look around, Marinette couldn't help but fawn over the beautiful fountains and the well-tended flowerbeds present, much to the amusement of Damian.

He exited, strolled to the other side of the car at a steady pace, and allowed Marinette to see the Manor's entrance when he opened her door. Outstretching a hand, he waited for the girl to intertwine their fingers, and lightly pulled her upwards.

Expecting her to break off, he was pleasantly surprised when she sent him a beam of gratitude, soon followed by her walking forward with him trailing close behind.

Alfred moved further ahead, and let in the two teens with a small smile. They entered the building, with Marinette glancing around in wonder.

Damian's lips upturned, as he held his arm out and offered, "A tour, Angel?"

Pink dusted her cheeks, yet she simply let out a miniature giggle and wrapped her arm around his.

"J'adorerais ça, Dami."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I'd love that, Dami."


	9. Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mainly fluff! 😊

The sun shone its radiant rays in the direction of the fountain, lighting it up in a way that made it appear to glow.

Water steamed down continuously, the sound of it gushing reverberating in Marinette's ears through the window. She stared out, eyes roaming the heavenly image whilst a male stood behind her.

"The view is beautiful..." she breathed, a smile making its way onto her face.

A few seconds later, Damian, looking at Marinette from a sideways angle, agreed with, "It is."

He too followed her line of sight, leading to the gardens of the Manor.

Throughout his stay in the building, he had never taken the time to admire the structure or the ornate decorations. However, Marinette, during her visit, had pointed out the smallest of details, even if they were almost imperceptible in a passing glance.

It made him appreciate his surroundings better.

Marinette, with her lips upturned, suddenly felt the sensation of something soft nudging against her left ankle, prompting her to turn her attention away from the outside.

When Marinette gasped in surprise without any warning, Damian quickly positioned himself into a fighting stance. Soon though, he relaxed, seeing the female with wide eyes fawning over Alfred.

The cat soaked up the praise like a sponge in water, not fighting at all when Marinette scooped him up and pushed him against her chest.

Damian smirked. _Good to see I'm not the only one who loves animals._

Alfred pushed his tiny nose into Marinette's cheek, soon licking it as a show of affection. She giggled, seeming to be at peace and overjoyed.

"He usually attacks any strangers who dare to touch him," Damian mused, "Or just everyone apart from me, Alfred and Father."

Instead of a verbal answer, she sent him a dazzling smile, before proceeding to shower Alfred with compliments in French that were too rushed for him to translate.

"What's this adorable Chaton's name?" she questioned, stroking his fur, after a minute. Purrs rumbled from the animal's throat as he leaned into her comforting touch.

"Alfred, believe it or not," Damian answered, "Named after the only sane person living in the Manor apart from Father when he isn't sleep-deprived and myself."

That caused a chuckle to vibrate through Marinette's chest, that was currently being nuzzled at by an affectionate cat.

"Well, I don't see how this little Minou could ever harm anyone," she declared, leaning down to press a delicate kiss on the top of his head.

In response, Alfred brushed his tail periodically along her arm, clearly proud of her opinion of him. His irises almost appeared to laugh at Damian when Marinette cuddled him closer, much to the slight annoyance of the teenager since her attention was away from himself.

 _He's a gosh-darn cat. Pull yourself together,_ he chided mentally.

"Good afternoon, Master Damian," a voice politely greeted.

Said male's eyes averted to the butler's, who seemed to have a knowing glint in his stare as if he could guess what had happened in the room minutes before.

Marinette perked up at Alfred Pennyworth's words, startled at his sudden appearance.

"Good afternoon, Miss Marinette. I see you have met Alfred the cat. He seems to have taken quite a liking to you."

The animal, just to prove his observation, let out a meow, slowly blinking up at Marinette seconds before rubbing his head up against her shoulder blade.

"I'm afraid so," she chuckled. "Oh - please, call me Marinette! I find it way too formal to be called 'Miss'. If that's okay, of course."

Alfred gave her a small yet amused smile, replying with, "It is definitely fine, Marinette."

Before the man could say anymore, Damian subtly broke in by saying, "So, Alfred. I believe it is time to make the food for dinner?"

"Yes, Master Damian. I merely wanted to inquire what food you would like so that I may cook it in the kitchen."

Marinette's eyes widened at the mention of the room, and before she could stop herself, she found her mouth blurting out, "Can I see the kitchen?"

**~*~*~**

The floor was a classic checkerboard of black and white, reflecting the overhead lights due to the polished surface.

Several ovens were placed against the wall straight across from the entrance to the cooking area, all switched off.

Stoves were set up randomly between the oak wood cupboards filled to the brim with ingredients and equipment around the room. Espresso machines were scattered randomly on cabinets, some still holding a mug.

"So, Angel," Damian started. "Why did you want the see the kitchen?"

"Well...I told you this morning that my parents are - were bakers, and I was wondering if I could bake something for dinner?"

"Bake something?" the male asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah! I was thinking perhaps macaroons, or maybe pastries," Marinette explained, "But of course if you don't want me to bake that's fine, it's just that it's a hobby I have and-"

Damian cut off her rambling by assuring, "No, no. I wasn't implying you couldn't make anything. It's just that..."

His lips slightly upturned, as he carried on with, "Alfred is known for making the best food around here."

"Oooh - is that a challenge, Dami?"

The only answer was a sly smirk, to which Marinette declared, "Oh, you're so on!"

She quickly faced Alfred, adding on, "No offense, of course. Dami mentioned how tasty your food is on the way here."

"None taken, Marinette. Now, you said you were planning to make macaroons?"

"Yep! And I have the perfect idea for the theme of the decorations that will be on them!"

**~*~*~**

Bruce Wayne let out an exaggerated sigh, closing the secret entrance to the Bat Cave behind him as he tiredly made his way to the kitchen.

The image of a cup of coffee flashed through his mind, unconsciously causing his feet to speed up in their walking.

He kept his eyes down, not wanting the chandeliers above to blind him after spending hours underground researching crimes and a certain teenager.

Glancing around, Bruce scanned his surroundings for Alfred, squinting frequently.

Before he could call out Pennyworth's name, the distant sound of voices reached his ears, in the direction of the living room.

Walking over with a hunched back to the area, a sudden laughter echoed from the opposite side of the room to him again, making a confused frown settle on his face.

Inching closer to the kitchen, the unmistakable chuckling of Damian was heard, followed by a female giggling and then all of a sudden squealing in surprise over something.

When he finally poked his head around the entrance, he was met with a strange, _and frankly scary,_ sight.

Clumps of flour were strewn across nearby counters and tabletops, mixed in with splodges of a red substance. Part of the floor was now soaked in milk that had been messily wiped at with a mop.

Standing at a large marble counter, Damian was giving a girl significantly shorter than him a slight smirk, as she was planted there with her arms folded with an expression of annoyance. However, the snorting that came from her mouth seconds later betrayed the mood.

It took a moment for Bruce to close his opened jaw, though his eyes soon widened when the girl lifted her right hand and spread green icing across Damian's forehead, leaving a smudge of chartreuse on his skin.

Instead of shouting at her, like Bruce expected, Damian simply moved the bend of his index finger on her left cheek. A trail of carnelian red was streaked on the slope of her cheekbone, matching a speck of red on her nose.

Marinette and Damian both chuckled, unaware of two men staring; one in smug amusement and the other in bewilderment.

The clearing of a throat broke them out of their stupor, where they turned simultaneously to Bruce Wayne standing at the entrance to the kitchen.

Marinette's freckled cheeks flared with a blush, along with Damian's.

Now that they were both facing him, Bruce could clearly see the piping bags in their hands, that were green, red and mostly empty.

There was a tray of macaroons beside them, half beautifully iced with designs of Batman, Nightwing and Robin. The delicacies on the other side were sloppily decorated with Red Robin and Hood images - probably done by Damian to show his opinion on them.

Raising a curious eyebrow, Bruce stated, "I presume you're Damian's new friend from school?"

Marinette quietly squeaked, almost like one of her alter egos. Thankfully, no one heard it, as she answered, "Y-yes. It's a pleasure to meet you, Monsieur Wayne."


	10. Nine

The sound of Alfred placing down plates was the only noise in the dining room, where Bruce, Damian and Marinette were sat. The two teens were beside each other, with Bruce on their right at the head of the table.

"I'm so sorry for the mess in the kitchen, Monsieur Wayne," Marinette started, "I'll help clean it up."

"Call me Bruce, Marinette," the man requested, "And I assure you, you have no need to apologise. It isn't the first time one of the boys has created trouble in the kitchen."

"But it was my fault, not Dami's!"

"Nonsense, Angel. I was the one who got icing on you first, which caused the whole mess," Damian spoke, bringing the blame on himself.

"I asked to bake in the room though, so if I didn't, it wouldn't be as messy as we made it," she explained.

Bruce broke in with his calm voice. "It's okay, Marinette. I'm not putting the blame on anyone. Besides, the mess might have been worth it to eat these macaroons."

Marinette blushed. "You like them?" she asked.

"Definitely! Why, they might be on par with Alfred's baking."

That caused her to giggle, as she added in, "I might be on the fence about that. His were amazing as well!"

Damian watched her beam, feeling his lips twitch upwards.

"If I may ask, where did you learn how to bake like this?" Bruce questioned, to which Marinette slightly froze up.

However, she plastered a smile on her face, and replied, "My parents - they love baking," after around a second of deliberation.

"I thought you lived with your aunts?"

"Yeah, they look after me now, Dami. Even though they're a bit different from my Maman and Papa, they're still very nice to me!" Marinette revealed, now with a more genuine expression of joy.

_She lost her parents? Oh, gosh. Don't tell me..._

Damian snuck a glance at his Father, and, sure enough, the man seemed to be looking at his friend in a way that was all too familiar.

Bruce, making out that the topic appeared to be sensitive, steered it away by quizzing, "Do you have any other hobbies, apart from baking?"

"Oh, yeah! I'm really into fashion design, actually!" the girl enthused, oblivious to Damian's inner suffering. "I was drawing on the way here, and mainly got inspiration from the stone statues everywhere."

"Really? Can I see your drawings?"

"O-oh yeah. Of course," Marinette fumbled, reaching for the sketchbook within her backpack.

Holding out the pad, she glanced to the side whilst Bruce filed through the pages, nervous about his reaction.

The other teenager subtly reached his had out beneath the table, grabbing Marinette's in a soft hold. She let out a slight gasp, but relaxed when she realised who's limb it was.

"These are fantastic, Marinette," he praised, "I especially like the jacket that's design is based off of Robin."

"T-thank you! My aunties told me what his costume looked like, and I thought that the colour scheme would suit a piece of clothing."

Bruce side-eyed Damian faintly, his mouth up turning at the dark rouge blush displayed on his son's cheeks.

Before any more words could be exchanged, there was the clear sound of a door closing, followed by approaching footsteps.

"Good afternoon, Master Jason, Master Grayson."

Damian, who's hand was now away from Marinette's, groaned internally, turning to face the door.

As he predicted, two men strolled into the room, both in casual attire. They both had startlingly blue eyes with jet black hair, though one male had a white streak contrasting with the rest of his fringe.

"Sup, Demon Spawn," Jason called, ruffling his brother's mop of hair.

He only grumbled, swatting away the hand, as Richard said, "Manners, Jason."

The second-oldest brother suddenly seemed to take notice of Marinette, who was glancing back and forth between the people in the room with a thoughtful expression.

"Hello, you must be Damian's friend that we've heard about," Richard greeted, "My name is-"

"-Richard, Dick for short. Dami told me about you," Marinette cut in, surprising him.

Jason sent a smug grin to Damian at the nickname that the girl had given him, prompting his cheeks to blush a pink hue whilst he levelled an ineffective glare.

"He has? I'm guessing he told you how 'annoying' I am," Dick guessed.

"Actually-"

"-Angel, I think it's time we go and see Titus," Damian decided, "He should be in the garden, if I'm correct."

"Oooh, is he your dog?" Marinette asked, excitement laced in her tone.

"Yes, he is a Great Dane."

He pushed his chair back, the noise of scraping sounding in the Manor. Taking her hand, he waited for her to stand, before walking to the door.

"Wow, I'm hurt. Not introducing your friend?" Jason teased, taking Damian's shoulder.

He growled under his breath, maneuvering to get past the muscular male.

Marinette felt a strong hand lightly push her back, as a voice questioned, "Come on, Princess. Care to introduce yourself since Demon Spawn here won't?"

_'Princess'?!_

Damian's eyes widened, but he had no time to speak, as his brother was now on the floor, having been flipped over Marinette's shoulder with ease.

Her breathing quickened, memories of a blonde flooding her mind until she registered the quiet in the room. She glanced down, taking in the image, before sprinting out, with Alfred taking note of the room she had gone to.

"Ooowww..."


	11. Ten

Marinette's breaths came out in sporadic pants, her chest heaving as she leaned down and placed her hands on her knees. Images flashed vigorously in her mind, bringing her back to her time in Paris and the memories there.

_"Don't you know that I love you, Bugaboo?"_

_"Why are you running, M'Lady? Don't you see we're meant for one another?"_

_"I don't care how long it takes, but you will be mine!"_

Two pairs of miniature paws patted her cheeks, breaking her out of her oncoming panic attack. In front of her, Tikki and Kaalki were floating, sending Marinette doting looks of care.

"Sshh, calm down, Marinette," the Ladybug kwami hushed, stroking and parting the Guardian's fringe. "He's not here, I promise. He's back in Paris, remember?"

Marinette nodded, attempting to even out her breathing by taking deep lung fulls of air. The cold oxygen travelled down her throat, into the organ, allowing her to inhale and exhale steadily.

"Angel?"

Head whipping back, her eyes caught sight of Damian, who himself noticed that her irises appeared to be slightly dilated. Walking forward, he raised his hands, placing them on the side of her flushed cheeks.

The effect was immediate, as she let out a large breath and closed her eyes whilst looking down. His fingers slowly rubbed circles on her temples, as he assured her of her safety.

"Angel, you're not in any danger," he assured, voice soft. "That boy won't hurt you again."

Straining his ears, Damian managed to make out her breathing pattern eventually slowing, prompting him to stop his soothing actions and pull back to meet her gaze.

A shaky smile overtook her features. "Merci, Damian."

"Pas de problème, Marinette."

**~*~*~**

Secretly listening from the door, Richard, Jason and Bruce stood, taking in the scene from the room beside them.

"Jesus, Bruce. That girl is damn strong," Jason complained, rubbing his hip in an attempt to soothe the forming bruise there.

"That's what's worrying me," the man answered, "It seems like she's had at the very least self-defense training, and if what I predict is right, it makes perfect sense."

"What, so the little pixie girl over there is dangerous? I mean, she flipped me over pretty hard, but...I'm doubting that."

"No," Bruce denied, "But the people that are looking after her are."

"What do you mean?" Dick questioned. "Ugh. Don't tell me she's part of the League. Baby Bird seems to really like her."

"Me too. She reminds me of you both, in a way."

"Oh, gosh," Jason complained, "He's at it again with the adopting."

"What? I am not-"

"Keep telling yourself that Bruce, keep telling yourself that."

**~*~*~**

Above the Parisians, grey clouds occupied the equally dull sky, blocking the bright Sun from view. Rain drizzled downwards and onto the pavements, puddles forming in the ditches and grooves in the ground.

Though most were rushing to seek shelter, one person, one _teenager,_ was running even further into the storm, hopping onto lampposts and sprinting along slanted rooftops.

Slit emerald eyes narrowed at the brown blotch floating straight ahead in the air, in no particular direction. The golden band settled around the blonde's head shifted slightly as he moved, though the jewellery mostly stayed in place.

His lungs began to burn from the strain of the long chase, yet Adrien refused to give up.

After what seemed like endless hours of racing after the kwami, Chat Noir finally managed to lunge forward, yanking Xuppu out of suspension and into his clawed hands.

The monkey thrashed about, frantically throwing his body side to side, to and fro, however, the action was useless. Chat kept his grip tight, jaws clenching and teeth scraping against each other in barely restrained anger.

"I'll say it again, little kwami," he spat, tone level though holding an undertone of irritation. "I suggest you tell me how you can sense another one of your friends, and where they are."

"I-I'll never tell you!" Xuppu exclaimed, voice getting more choked as Chat Noir squeezed with his superior strength. "Y-You don't d-deserve the mirac-"

Letting out a growl, Adrien shouted, "Don't you dare say I'm not worthy of this ring! I deserve it after all I've done for Paris! All I've sacrificed! Thanks to my Father I've lost the chance to make M'Lady mine!"

Xuppu resisted the urge to nip at the leather-clad teen's fingers, knowing his powers would only cause discomfort for Plagg.

"One. Last. Chance - and I'll word it in simpler terms for you," he threatened, sharp fangs glinting from the Sun starting to peek out from behind the clouds.

"How do I find out where Ladybug is?"

The question made the kwami's eyes widen, squirming desperately whilst his body shook, as he aimed to faze through the hand keeping him captive.

A cold laugh escaped Chat Noir's lips, shoulders shaking from his apparent amusement. "Good luck trying to fly away using that method. I already prevented you from doing so."

His mouth twisted into a sick smirk, sneer escaping his lips.

"Now," he started.

"As holder of the Monkey miraculous, I order you, Xuppu, kwami of jubilation, to tell me _exactly_ where my Princess is."


	12. Eleven

"Are you sure you'll be okay walking home by yourself?" Damian quizzed, a worried expression apparent on his face.

"I'll be fine Dami," Marinette giggled, "I've already texted my aunts to tell them I'm coming back, anyway, so they'll be ready for me."

He offered, "I can walk you home if you want, or Alfred could escort you if that were preferable."

She chuckled. "Don't worry. I've already been around Gotham a few times, and I'm sure that the local heroes will be out, if that helps."

Though the argument was weak, it assured Damian of her safety, prompting him to let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, Angel. I'll see you tomorrow in school, then?"

A smile graced her features at the question, as she responded, "Definitely, Dami. Especially after I promised Claude, Allegra and Allen more food to eat. Oh, and I can't forget making you some, of course!"

The other teenager blushed a light rose, eyes widening whilst he turned his head to the side.

"Don't mind us, lovebirds. Just carry on with the flirting when we're here, why don't you?"

Straight after finishing the tease, the given answer was a low snarl from Damian's throat, laced with a slight waver. It only accentuated when Jason sent him a knowing smirk.

"Todd..."

Bruce, standing off to the side, felt his lips twitch up, seeing the pink flooding both of the younger ones's cheeks. Dick only sighed with a grin right beside him.

"I hope you'll get home safe, Marinette."

"T-Thank you, Bruce. I'm sure I will," she squeaked, catching the attention of the surrounding males.

Bruce stepped forward, towering above the girl's miniature form yet with a warm smile.

"I'm so sorry about the mess in the kitchen, as well," she apologised again. "But thank you for understanding."

"Oh, I know all too well what its like for my children to create something like that, and worse."

Marinette laughed, covering her mouth with a hand. Damian, who was scanning his father's expressions intently, internally groaned for the hundredth time in the day, knowing what would be following soon.

"It would be great if you'd visit again, Marinette. You're a great friend to Damian."

"O-Oh! I'd love to come over again! I had fun here today."

Her friend cleared his throat loudly, making her focus on him. He said, "I'll lead you out, Angel," beginning to walk out of the front door.

"Yes, of course."

Marinette strolled behind his figure, exiting the spacious mansion, as her eyes were met with the beautiful view of the outside. The same fountains were scattered about in a designated pattern - the water gushing infinitely into the circular baths.

"Thank you for the great time," she spoke up, glancing in Damian's direction on the soft grass. "I loved spending time with you."

Rouge flooded his skin. "I-I loved the time I spent here with you, too."

There was a prolonged quiet after his reply, which was broken a few seconds into it by Damian's dry remark of, "And I'm sure Alfred did too."

Gazing downwards, Marinette caught sight of onyx fur in her vision, that sauntered around her ankles with a tail unfurling happily. She awed, scooping up the feline with sparkles seemingly shimmering in her eyes.

The female pushed him against her chest, feeling the animal's nose snuggle into her blazer's warmth readily. Meowing, he turned his head to Damian, that was kissed at the top by pale pink lips.

Hearing a snort from behind, Damian looked back at the Manor's entrance. There, poking out from behind the corner, was Jason's mop of dark hair, along with Dick's.

He sighed, rubbing at his chin with a muscular hand.

"So...would _you_ be okay with me visiting again?" Marinette questioned, fiddling with the strap of her spotted backpack.

"I am definitely okay with it, Angel. In fact, I'd hope you do."

He was not prepared for the quick peck on his right cheek, issued by the Parisian in front of him all of a sudden.

"B-Bye, Dami! I'll text you when I get home!"

Her high-pitched voice speedily decreased in volume, as she made her way down the building's path, which lead to the streets ahead.

"Well, well, well, Demon Spawn. Good luck trying to keep your girlfriend away from us now."

"Shut it, Todd!" Damian growled, though the glare he levelled at his brother was made weaker by the burning red on his face.

"That's enough," Bruce decided, a note of finality in his tone. "I suggest we suit up to make sure Marinette gets home safe."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goddamnit Bruce, stop with the adopting, please.


	13. Twelve

Hushed footsteps echoed in the atmosphere, as a young female strolled across the side pavements and winding paths. The lamps lining them lavished her form in a yellow light, allowing her soft features to be clearly visible.

She subtly glanced about. Her bluebell eyes searched the roads in a suspicious manner.

All of a sudden, the teen swerved to the left, turning into a shadowed alley. Around her were dustbins, wrappers and littered trash scattered on the cement.

Marinette brought her hand up to her blazer, pulling it back as her voice spoke, "Kaalki? Are you ready?"

The only answer was silence, and a bright red kwami poking her head out of the pocket they were situated in. Furrowing her brow, Marinette questioned, "Is Kaalki okay?"

"She's asleep," Tikki answered, "Would you like me to wake her up?"

Sighing, the girl decided, "No, don't. She deserves the rest after I forgot to bring her any sugar cubes to school today."

"Are you sure?"

Marinette hummed affirmatively. "Yep. I'm sure no one will notice me, anyway. I mean, look at the time!"

There was a small margin of silence, before Tikki agreed with, "If you're confident about it. But you're going straight to Aunt Harley and Ivy without any stops, got it?"

"Okay. It won't be that hard, right?" she rhetorically asked, whilst scanning left and right for any people.

After confirming there was no one, Marinette heard Tikki mutter in reply, "Let's hope it isn't."

Smiling, she flicked her fingers against the studs settled in her ears, saying, "Tikki, Spots On."

**~*~*~**

Batman quietly grunted, covering his sight with a gloved arm. When the bright pink light died down, a suited woman was left below the ledge he was currently perched on.

Her midnight hair, pulled into a tight bun, had two red ribbons sticking out from a knot, resembling antennae. A red-and-black mask lay on her face, concealing her civilian identity and adding to the ladybird theme of her outfit - if the spotted pads attached to her appendages gave anything away.

Marinette grabbed an object at her waist, which Batman only realised after squinting was a yo-yo. She spun it experimentally a few times, before flinging it at a pole nearby.

Tugging slightly, her body was brought upwards without a hitch, letting her travel out of the alley. She skimmed Bruce by just an inch.

Without any hesitation, Batman shot out his grappling hook, jumping down in the same direction she had gone.

Underneath his cowl, his expression was determined, yet it held a look of sheer concern at the same time.

**~*~*~**

"Is someone missing their girlfriend?"

"Shut up, Hood. Now is not the time," a male snapped.

"Calm down. Just 'cause B got dibs on watching the girl, doesn't mean you have to aim your jealousy at me," Jason remarked.

Robin gazed to the side. "I'm not jealous," he mumbled, folding his arms.

Red Hood snorted, teasing, "As if. You love her, don't you?"

A dark rouge overtook Damian's cheeks, as he suddenly twisted his head to face his brother. "No I don't! I am simply worried for my friend."

Jason sighed, a knowing smile showing beneath his helmet. "Well, you might wanna make a move on that 'friend' of yours before B decides to adopt her."

"He won't adopt her," Robin huffed, "She already has carers."

It was quiet for a few seconds, though it was broken by Red Hood noting, "That doesn't mean her life has been good."

Damian sent a confused glance to the older man.

The vigilante let out a deep exhale of air. "When she flipped me over at the Manor, it took a minute for me to realise why she reacted that way," he explained.

"The action was a clear sign of PTSD, and whoever called her 'Princess' must have traumatised her horribly for her to use so much force on me without hesitation."

Surprisingly, Robin kept his mouth glued shut for a few seconds, before he hesitantly input, "At school today, she told me that an incident from where she came from made her uncomfortable to be touched by males. She also said that the one who was involved in it called her 'Princess' and 'M'Lady'."

He rubbed at his temple with a clothed hand. "She even asked if it was okay for me to not call her by those. Something tells me that he didn't have her consent for more than just those nicknames."

Red Hood nodded in understanding, though narrowed his eyes when hearing the information about Marinette's unknown past.

"I'll tell Red Robin not to call her those if he's there the next time she comes to the Manor," he decided, Damian's response being, "That would be a good idea."

The crackle of a signal came to life in the comm that Damian was in possession of, prompting him to place his fingers on the device. Beside him, Jason quizzed, "What is it?"

"It looks like there's another meta running across the rooftops," Nightwing broke in with, his light panting echoing in the background. "Me and Red Robin are following them alone since B said he had to stop a drug raid on the opposite side of the city."

"There's been no crime for a while now where we are," Red Hood informed, "We're coming now."

Damian gave a subtle nod in unison with Jason, as the man twirled two guns in his grasp. One with bullets, and another for travelling around Gotham.

The heroes both shot out their grappling hooks at once, swinging away to where the trackers on their siblings were.

**~*~*~**

"Ugh, why does it have to be so cold?" Marinette groaned to herself, shivering at the cold breeze that threatened to break her fragile form. She leaped off of another rooftop, feeling an icy wind card through her tresses wildly.

Her nimble fingers threw out her spotted yo-yo, latching it onto a beam that pulled her up into suspension again.

She sprinted along the sides of towering buildings, ever so often landing on balcony rails and lampposts to get to her home.

It was when she had just stopped to rest for a moment's notice that footsteps sounded behind her. She froze minutely, before tightening her grip on the weapon she held.

When the, what she guessed to be, two men moved even closer, Marinette flicked her wrist and sprung up in a skilled movement. It caused her whole body to drop towards the ground as she heard the zipping of her yo-yo string soaring through the air.

Curses rang in her ears. The duo rushed to the roof's edge to watch her descent, only to see her swing straight ahead to another tower. The wings spanning Ladybug's back twitched when sensing them following her path.

"Est-ce trop demander à rentrer à la maison sans être repéré?" she muttered under her breath in French.

After what seemed to be a few minutes of Marinette evading their attempts at capture, her eyes widened when she sensed something in particular. She swung to the highest point in the vicinity - it being the Wayne Enterprises Tower.

Her bloomed fears were confirmed when four grappling hooks latched onto the structure's edge, revealing four vigilantes on the same rooftop as her.

"Je vais avoir tellement ďennuis..." she breathed, bluebell eyes going back and fourth between the watchful quartet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Is it too much to ask to go home undetected?"
> 
> "I'm going to get into so much trouble..."


	14. Thirteen

Marinette spun her yo-yo in vigorous circles, a habit she couldn't help but perform after numerous years in the spots. The weapon became a red blur, almost imitating a shield.

"Hello..." Nightwing started, hesitantly taking a step forward after the greeting.

Ladybug felt her body stiffen slightly, as she subtly scanned about for an exit. The roof she was currently on - along with the vigilantes - was open to the sky, having short walls at the edges. The realisation made her let out a small sigh of relief.

"Are you another meta?" Nightwing questioned, causing the girl to meet his gaze all of a sudden with hers.

That was when she noticed that his eyes were fixated on the turning yo-yo in her grip.

Marinette slowed down the spinning, gradually letting the weapon's rotations travel to a halt. When they finally stopped, she placed the yo-yo back at her hip again, as she felt it click into place on the red string there.

"I'm afraid I'm not," answered Ladybug. She caught sight of Red Robin's mask creasing - where his brows would be - from his position at the opposite end of the roof.

Nightwing held his arms up in a placating action, whilst saying, "Listen, we're not going to harm you. We only want to know what you're doing here."

In the corner of her eye, she saw Red Robin come forward, and, as a response, the heroine inched back. The instinctual movement caught both Robin and Red Hood's attention, who were looking in silence from afar.

"I...I swear I'm not here to cause any trouble," she replied, "I'm just trying to get home."

The oldest there nodded in understanding. He spoke, "Would you be okay telling us where you live?"

She didn't know what it was that prompted her to scoff, but surprisingly, she did. What followed after were the words, "As if I'd do that," beneath her breath.

Walking behind at a slow pace, her eyes flickered between the quartet closing in on the direction she was headed.

"Merde..." Marinette muttered, though the curse was lost in the wind. She twisted her body around quickly, feeling the wings spanning her back twitch in anticipation, as she proceeded to fling her body off of Wayne Enterprises.

Footsteps sprinted nearby. Several grappling hooks shot out to neighbouring structures, while one latched around a lamppost straight beneath her suspended form.

Robin landed on the pole, looking straight up at Ladybug. She narrowed her eyes, reaching for the yo-yo at her hip, and threw it out into the distance.

The sound of it zipping showed that it was soaring through the air, making Marinette sigh thankfully. When it wrapped around a pillar high above, her nimble fingers tugged, just before she came to Damian.

Wind unsettled her usually neat locks. A slight drizzle stuck the loose strands to her face.

The female sensed a person to the side, and, sure enough, she sent seething glares to Red Robin and Nightwing a rooftop over. The older one merely grinned with a miniature wave.

A groan escaped her mouth. Ladybug leaped up a second time into the sky, soon swinging in a practised way to where her home was.

However, her travel was interrupted as a Batarang made contact with the surface of her yo-yo, unlatching it from a balcony rail. Letting out a shocked yelp, she just about managed to land safely on the cement below, but not without a few scratches to her face.

The spotted hero picked herself up off the ground. Her ladybird wings folded back into their set place - flat on her toned back.

None other than Red Hood jumped in front of her, with a gun held out. She didn't even flinch at the sight, as her gaze was instead focused on the Gothamites crowded around.

A dozen or so had their phones held out, taking videos, with awed smiles gracing their features.

"So, Pixie!" the man called aloud. "You wanna give yourself up or fight?"

Grumbling inaudibly, she shouted in reply, "None of those, obviously!"

Three other males suddenly appeared beside Red Hood, causing her to stumble a little. Robin fought off the urge to let his lips twitch in subtle amusement.

"I'm sorry, but we can't let you run about unmonitored," Nightwing apologised, and his tone seemed sincere enough. "We won't do anything bad, trust me. We just want to know-"

"And I'm sorry about this too!" Marinette cut in with a pained expression, before chucking her weapon at the man.

Red Robin smacked it away from Dick with a spin of his staff, leaving the men in offensive stances against Ladybug. She angled her body the same in accordance.

They charged at one another, clashing together in a fight that clearly was biased. The heroine's yo-yo managed to knock back those who came into contact with it, making the battle a whole lot easier for her.

"Désolé, désolé," she whimpered quietly each time one of her punches and kicks landed harshly on the boys. "Je suis tellement désolé."

A particularly hard blow made a ripple of pain spread from Robin's cheek, as he moved back and held it with a gloved hand. He suddenly spat out a wad of blood off to the side.

"J-Je ne voulait pas dire trop," Marinette said with a wince, seeing her three opponents face their brother worriedly.

At the distraction, she zoomed away in the opposing direction, throwing her yo-yo upwards when she sensed them following behind. Her body was brought into suspension in a flash.

"C'mon, c'mon," the young one muttered desperately.

When the time came, she snatched a glance back at Red Hood, Nightwing and Red Robin, who were in the middle of swinging to her whilst in the air. A grin spread across her face.

To their confusion, she flung her yo-yo at a thin bridge, swinging under it. Then, pulling on the weapon string with a grunt, she allowed her whole body to fly up, as she soared backwards in the direction she had come from.

Ladybug performed several flips in the air, letting the somersaults and acrobatic moves stretch out her sore limbs.

With a grin, she tapped at her mask, making a pair of rose gold spectacles form out of nowhere. She held both arms out, saying, "Kaalki, Tikki, Unify!"

**~*~*~**

Bruce watched as splodges of brown leather formed on her costume, and her onyx hair morphed into two braids that connected further down her back.

Marinette made her way to an abandoned apartment roof, not aware of the Dark Knight lurking nearby. She held out a hand to a wall, commanding, "Voyage!"

Swirls of turquoise expanded there, until they became the right size for a human to fit through. The hero adjusted the glasses on the bridge of her nose one final time, as she took a step through the portal.

Batman stood for a few moments, before placing a hand to his ear.

"Agent A," he called. "Check the security cameras at Gotham Academy from just after the school day ended."

"And why would that be, Batman?" Alfred quizzed politely.

"Clearly Robin's new friend isn't who she seems to be. And I'm curious as to what, or _who,_ brought her here in the first place."

**~*~*~**

"You were right, Xuppu. My Princess is in America," Adrien mused, watching live footage from his phone.

It showed a spotted woman battling four men, clearly apologetic of her actions. Her yo-yo whacked at them repeatedly, pushing them away whilst she edged backwards from the attacks sent her way.

The teen switched his device off, turning to the two kwami floating behind him. They both had their heads down, yet gazed up when their owner said, "Now, I believe it's time to get her back, wouldn't you agree?"

Plagg hissed threateningly, though Adrien payed him no mind. He simply strolled over to his computer, clicking on a few tabs.

"It was easy enough to fake a vacation to the press for my father," he revealed. "I wonder how hard it would be to plan a trip for myself to Gotham?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Sorry, sorry. I'm so sorry."
> 
> "I-I didn't mean to do that."


	15. Fourteen

"Auntie?"

The call echoed in the silent home for a few seconds, until a faint crash was heard. It was followed by Harley Quinn stumbling in.

"Sweetie Pie!" the clown cheered, running up to envelop Marinette in a hug. "I was so worried about you!"

"I-It's fine, Auntie. I'm not hurt."

"'Not hurt'? Sweetie, you have scratches all over your face."

Harley tilted the girl's head up with thin fingers, and examined her features with a determined gaze. The heroine blushed and looked down.

"Sorry," she apologised meekly.

The clown smiled, and embraced Marinette again. She assured from atop her head, "Don't worry, I'm not angry. You put up a great fight from what I saw on the news."

She shrugged her shoulders, and after a moment of hesitation admitted, "If anything, it's Pam's reaction you should be worried about - and Selina's."

"Oh no..." the younger one realised with a groan. "When will they be back?"

Laughing, Harley responded, "If you must know, they're practically rushin' here after seeing you on the news."

"Oh, merde...I'm going to be in so much trouble."

Letting out a chuckle, the woman decided, "Now, Honey, let's get you cleaned up."

"Right," Marinette agreed. "Tikki, Kaalki, Divide. Tikki, Spots Off."

There was a flash of green and pink, leaving behind a bluenette and two exhausted kwami. She scooped them up before they hit the ground, and cuddled them up to her cheek.

"Sorry guys, I'll get you some snacks."

"Oh no you don't, Sugar," Harley chided, smirking. "You go lie on the couch with all ya animal friends and I'll deal with that."

Sighing, the designer said, "Thank you," and strolled over to the sofa. As she lay on the velvet, a vine immediately moved to cushion her head, whilst another delicately wrapped around her right leg that dangled off the edge of the furniture.

Marinette let out a small giggle, feeling several leaves tickle her skin. That was when her eyes wandered over to an item on a glass table to the side.

She reached an arm out. The Miracle Box was brought into her lap. Her pale fingers traced the engravings etched on top of it, as she smiled faintly.

However, a frown soon formed on her features at the memory of who had previously owned the box.

All of a sudden, a red blob zipped into the lid, disappearing into thin air. The Guardian exhaled and put the object to the side, then gently placed a limp Kaalki on her shoulder.

The sound of footsteps reached her ears, prompting Marinette to turn her head to see Harley making her way over with medical supplies and food in her hands.

The adult pulled up a stool beside the couch, much to the teen's dismay as she grimaced.

"Ah, ah, ah, don't give me that look, Hun. First we gotta stitch up those gashes, then I'll leave you be."

Harley proceeded to bring a plaster and needle into view, whilst she grabbed a bundle of string. There was silence for several moments.

"Auntie..."

The clown looked up.

"Thank you," the girl spoke softly. "For everything. I don't know what I would have done without you or Aunt Ivy, and I'm so glad I ended up with you guys."

Harley Quinn's expression melted into a grin, as she embraced Marinette tightly.

"Oh, Sweetie, I'm glad we found you too. You're a daughter to us, you know that right? Without you we wouldn't have been able to tone down our crimes, or be the people we are now."

Marinette shut her eyes, leaning into the hug. Her carer simply squeezed tighter, as they both felt the dozens of other kwami join into the huddle.

**~*~*~**

"I go for less than two weeks and the Brat somehow ends up with a girlfriend?"

"Shut up, Drake!" Damian shouted - his voice echoing in the Bat Cave. "We are not in a relationship!"

"They totally are," Jason piped up helpfully, in a fakely hushed tone of voice.

"That's it!" Robin yelled, a red coating his cheeks and nose. He pulled out a katana, and began to charge in the direction of Red Hood.

Bruce let out a weary sigh. "If you two are going to fight, at least do it somewhere without important equipment around."

He stalked over to Red Robin, whilst watching in the corner of his eye for the males to heed his advice. When they did - by instead taking the battle upstairs - Batman started to type at the Bat Computer.

"So, we're finally going to research that ladybird girl," Tim commented, glancing up from his phone.

"It's about time we did," Dick spoke from behind, as he strolled their way. "That girl packed a massive punch. Did you see the bruise that she gave Damian?"

"Yes, and I suspect there's magic involved," Batman answered, not taking his eyes off the screen. He was currently filing through information on Paris.

"What do you think the Brat's gonna say this time to the paparazzi about his stitches?"

"Hey, don't call him that," Nightwing scolded lightly. " _But,_ I think he'd say he got them in some run-of-the-mill hostage situation."

"Sure, and have everyone suspicious as to why no one knew about it?"

Dick sighed in understanding, then gained a thoughtful look on his face. He quizzed, "Uhh, Bruce? I thought you said that you were going to research the ladybird girl?"

On the large screen mounted to the wall was a plethora of text, all centred around one female in particular. A picture of her was at the top of the - what Dick realised to be - article.

"Wait, isn't that the Brat's girlfriend?"

"Yeah..." Nightwing breathed, scanning quickly through the information. "She's, she's missing?"

"In Paris, it appears so. I'm going to find her address in Gotham so that I can confront her carers."

"And adopt the girl," Tim muttered beneath his breath. "She's a hero, has dark hair, blue eyes, probably a tragic backstory, too."

Unknown to him, Bruce smirked at his words.

**~*~*~**

"I got home safely, I swear."

"That's good. I was afraid that you'd gotten caught up in a situation when you didn't answer my calls."

Marinette tucked a hand beneath her shirt, and fiddled with the fox tail jewellery around her neck. She glanced to the side for a second, before turning hesitantly back to her deskmate.

"Are...Are you mad at me for not replying to your phone calls?"

Damian shook his head, still keeping his left side faced away from her sight. "I am not."

The Parisian sighed, gazing to the front of the classroom from the corner. There, above one of the analogue clocks, Trixx was settled. The kwami had a paw held up, as they concentrated on the mirage swirling around Marinette's features to hide her injuries.

Thoughts clouded her mind, which consisted of worry and fear. She closed here eyes tight, before bringing a hand up in Damian's direction.

The boy watched as she cupped his chin, and asked softly, "If you're not angry, at least let me see you properly, please?"

All he could think about was the hand touching his face, and the sad expression adorning her features. He found himself nodding, with a blush burning his cheeks, as he slowly turned to her head-on.

Marinette let out a quiet gasp, taking in the stitches embedded into his skin. There was a slight swelling and purple around the area.

She met his forest green eyes with her blue ones, and soon understanding dawned on her.

_I...I punched Robin in the same place..._

The teen pulled back her hand, that was visibly shaking, and looked at her knuckles. The same ones that had caused him pain.

"Désolé..." she whimpered almost inaudibly.

The last thing she saw was his eyes widening, as she slumped limply back in her chair from both regret and surprise overtaking her mind.


	16. Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D

"Angel?"

Marinette let out an almost inaudible groan, as she fought to flutter her heavy eyes open. When finally managing to, she was met with the sight of emerald looking her over in worry.

"D-Dami?" she muttered.

"Yes, it's me," he confirmed. "Are you okay?"

Damian held out a hand, and she took it to sit up. That was when she noticed that beneath her was a blanketless bed, with a soft pillow where her head was just at.

The girl nodded in confirmation at his question, and heard him let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"What happened? You fainted after seeing the stitches I had at my cheek."

She squinted for a few moments. Then, the memory of before flashed through her mind again, and she found herself staring at him with wide eyes.

"Angel, are you okay? Do you need to lie back down again?"

A pointed nudge from within her blazer pocket made her break out of her stupor, and process the question when a few seconds had passed.

"N-No, I-I don't. I just...how did you get hurt in the first place?"

"It was a hostage situation," Damian responded curtly. "However, it is quite a common occurrence, so you needn't worry."

Marinette raised a brow, thinking, _I'm pretty sure all those posh words are a clear sign that he's lying._

She opened her mouth to speak, though her words were suddenly interrupted when the door to the school's infirmary was slammed open. Two women practically rushed in.

"Sweetie Pie!"

"Flower!"

Arms enveloped the designer tightly, and she immediately returned the embrace they brought her in. A hand smoothed out her silky locks, whilst another stroked down her back.

"I've got you, Sugar," Harley soothed, before moving back to sit beside her. Poison Ivy did the same, and Marinette allowed herself to lean into the plant lover's body.

The clown faced Damian - who was watching from a chair beside the bed - and held a hand out. "Her aunt," she provided.

He shook it in a firm grip, then let go.

"I must say, it's great to finally meet our niece's boyfriend."

"Auntie!" Marinette broke in, blushing profusely. "He's n-not my boyfriend!"

"Right," Pamela teased, much to the younger one's embarrassment as she buried her head in the woman's chest. She simply chuckled and gave Harley a knowing glance from above the girl's head.

"Okay, listen here, Kid. You treat her wrong in _any_ way and you'll be dealing with our wrath," she whispered threateningly.

Damian felt his lips twitching upwards. "I'd take it if I made her upset."

They regarded one another for half a minute. That was until Harley chuckled, and stated, "Hmm. You two suit each other. Just make sure to keep her safe, ya got that?"

Whilst that exchange was going on, Marinette tilted her head up and quizzed, "Auntie, aren't your disguises a little obvious?"

_What if Dami- Robin recognises them?_

Ivy nodded. She then traced the jewellery around the bluenette's neck, and said, "That doesn't really matter when an illusion is hiding your true looks."

Marinette's lips parted in surprise, as she scanned about the room. On a shelf housing plasters and bandages high-up, Trixx was lazing with a paw held in their direction.

"Oh."

The door to the room clicked open, and a nurse strolled in. She seemed startled by the presence of the adults, yet she schooled her expression quickly.

"It's good to see that you're awake, Miss Iszel. Have you any headaches or pains?"

"She's just disoriented," Damian answered for his friend. "Will she be sent home?"

"Yes, and so will you," the medic informed. "We called Mr Wayne to tell him about what happened and he asked for you."

She stepped to the side, and, sure enough, Bruce walked through the entrance of the room. He processed the scene before him, then addressed with a warm smile, "Marinette, it's great to see you again."

"O-Oh, you too Bruce!"

"I assume you are her guardians?"

"Yes, Mr Wayne," Pamela said. "We are."

The man subtly studied them, as he sat at one of the empty chairs in the area. The only one aware was Damian - who narrowed his eyes at his father in suspicion.

**~*~*~**

"Introducing...the Great [MariQuinn](https://miraculous786.tumblr.com/post/190142913367/hauntedwintersweets-marinette-dressing-like)!"

"Auntie..." Marinette whined, red flushing her cheeks bright. She tucked a lock of hair behind her pierced ears. "Stooop..."

"Hey, don't be embarrassed!" Harley enthused. "You look beautiful, Honey."

"She's right, you know," someone agreed from behind. They placed a hand on the young one's shoulder. "It's amazing, Kitten."

Her features burned even hotter.

"Th-Thank you, Aunt Selina."

Said woman grinned, and pulled out her phone. She questioned, "Would you mind if I take a picture?"

"I-I'm not sure..." Marinette hesitated, twisting her fingers.

From the side, Pamela spoke up. "Are you sure, Flower? Don't you want to show Jinx how successful making the outfit was?"

The girl thought for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. I want her to see the finished product, anyway."

"That's the spirit!" Harley exclaimed, getting into the shot. After a minute or so of preparation, Selina finally snapped a photo, capturing an image of the four females posing at the lens.

Marinette had her head of hair in its usual two pigtails, however one of the tips was dyed maroon. The other aqua. Around her neck, a golden choker was wrapped. Engraved on it was the word 'BUG' in bold.

She adorned a white vest with 'Puddin' in black cursive. Attached to it were crimson sleeves that had two stripes of baby blue at the level of her chest on them. A flowing sapphire skirt reaching halfway down her thighs.

MariQuinn's pose in the snap consisted of straight arms and slightly bent knees. One of her legs wore ruby fishnet material, and the other lapis.

"So, Kitten, what other outfit choices are you working on?"

"Well, I have some sketches of ones inspired by Raven, Jinx and Starfire," Marinette responded. "And, uh..."

They watched as she shifted her gaze to the carpeted floor in nervousness. A tall sneaker the shade of her eyes - that contrasted her other red shoe - dug into the ground.

"...Poison Ivy and Cat Woman," she finished in a squeak.

There was silence for a few moments.

That was until the two women she mentioned hugged her tight in one big embrace. The designer giggled, nestling closer into it.

"You're fantastic, my Kitten," Selina complimented, patting the head of her flustered form. "And I call dibs to adopt you, so take _that,_ Bruce," she mumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it," she assured, turning to the other adults. "I'm sorry to say that I have to get going now."

"Aaaaw," Harley said. "Well, be sure to visit again soon, yeah?"

"I will."

The lady made her way across the room and over to the open window at the side. She gave them one last wave, before using momentum to flip onto the roof above and jump away.

"My Flower, she's left you another gift, it seems."

"Really?" Marinette quizzed, sauntering over to Ivy. "What is it?"

Pamela held up a bracelet, composed of golden leaves with circular silver beads between them.

"It, it's beautiful..." she breathed, plucking it from her aunt's peridot fingers. "But where did she get it from?"

"I think I have a hunch," the clown there snarked, smirking. "How about you try it on, Sugar?"

MariQuinn nodded - starting to go over to her bedroom. She glanced at herself in the vanity mirror, before wrapping the jewellery around her wrist. The texture was hard, and the temperature cold, yet it was still comfortable to wear.

"It looks amazing, Marinette!" the kwami suddenly floating beside her said. "I think it suits your choker and outfit very well!"

"Y-You think?" she stuttered. "Thank you, Tikki!"

The god simply cuddled up to the Guardian's cheek with tiny paws and chuckled. She exclaimed, "Let's show your aunts the look!"

The baker hummed in agreement. She stepped out to stroll to the living room. However, when edging closer, she could hear the faint sound of voices coming from her destination.

"Huh..."

When finally arriving where she wanted, it took a moment to take in what was there.

Since right in front of her very eyes, a man clad in mainly black and kevlar stood, talking in a gruff voice to her aunts. They were both clearly amused by the topic of the conversation.

_Wait, he's Bruce Wayne isn't he? He should be if Dami is Robin, but what is he doing here?_

At that very moment, Batman's eyes snapped to hers, and Marinette found herself gulping. Her carers had gone quiet at her abrupt appearance.

"H-Hi..?"


	17. Sixteen

The silence in the room lingered for a few moments, as Marinette's footsteps moved further and further away. However, Harley broke it with a confident snark.

"No point in hiding, Batsy. We know you're there."

After a few seconds, a grunt emanated from the shadows around the open window nearby. A figure dressed in onyx and kevlar melded from the darkness.

"You've been expecting me."

"Yes," Poison Ivy agreed, folding her arms. "We have."

"And we know what- or should I say _who_ you want," Harley carried on for the woman.

Batman appeared to raise a brow beneath his cowl. The duo took it as a silent question for an elaboration on the claim.

"Brucie ain't getting to keep our Honey. She's ours, and it's going to stay that way."

The male let out what sounded to be a sigh. "It's Marinette's choice, I'm afraid. You're technically not her legal guardians, which is why I proposed her adoption to Mr Wayne, who agreed to it."

"Oh, I know why," the clown laughed. "Not only 'cause of her dark hair and blue eyes, but the fact that she's his son's 'friend', too I bet."

Batman's response was interrupted when there was an almost inaudible gasp to the side. The three adults snapped their heads there to see MariQuinn standing with flushed cheeks and an awkward smile.

"H-Hi...?"

The Dark Knight scanned over her outfit, taking in the dyed tips of her hair, familiar script on her shirt, and choker wrapped around her neck. The words etched into its surface made him narrow his eyes, though it was unseen.

"U-Umm, I'll just, uhh..." she fumbled.

"Aaaw, Sugar, that bracelet suits you so well!"

Marinette blushed even more. "T-Thank you," she admonished. "But, I'll be, um, going now. I'm guessing you need to have a conversation?"

Bruce nodded, and input, "Yes, but I think you'll want to sit down. It's about your guardians."

At the way she gulped and minutely paled, Harley deadpanned, "Way to go Batsy. You're making it seem like we're getting arrested or somethin'."

Pamela sent a small glare his way, before walking up to and placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. She assured, "It's nothing bad, my Flower, don't worry."

"Okay..." she said, making her way over to the couch and taking a seat. Her hands found themselves fiddling with each other.

"I'm sure you're aware of your aunts' backgrounds," Batman started, and at her confused nod he begun to explain. "Well, I fear that their past might lead to use of you as a pawn or being in danger because of possible enemies or grudges."

"Yes, I know that there's a chance of that," Marinette revealed, suddenly feeling defensive. "But I trust my aunts to protect me if anything happens."

"I'm not doubting them," he was quick to say. "But I wanted to offer you something in case you're cautious of anything at anytime."

MariQuinn raised a brow, with her lips open in slight shock. "What, what is it?"

"An offer of adoption."

" _What?_ "

"Told ya so, Bats. Brucie ain't gettin' her."

The designer tilted her head, questioning, "Wait, 'Brucie'?"

"She's talking about Bruce Wayne, who I'm sure you know through his son at Gotham Academy."

Marinette fought off the urge to break her cover of knowing his identity, and asked, "So, he's the one who wants to adopt me?"

Batman nodded. "It isn't compulsory for you to take the offer. He just wanted me to pass on the message that you're free to come over to the Wayne Manor whenever you want to."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Thoughts clouded the baker's mind for a dozen or so seconds, as she gazed down at her lap in concentration. Though the answer was a seemingly simple thing, she couldn't help but backtrack when thinking that her decision would affect more than herself.

"We won't be mad with any of your decisions, Sweetie," Harley Quinn promised. "Take your time."

"I...I don't want to be adopted by someone else," Marinette hushedly admitted. "But I do want to be able to stay there from time-to-time, if that makes sense."

The adults released their breaths.

"I understand," Batman affirmed, his lips twitching upwards. "And I'll inform Mr Wayne of your response - I'm positive that he'll agree to it."

A beam tugged at her mouth, and one soon adorned her features. "Thank you so much, Monsieur Way- Batman."

Thankfully, it seemed that he chose to ignore her slip up, after he bid, "There's no reason to thank me, Marinette. Stay safe."

Just after his reply, the vigilante turned back around to the open window behind, and pulled out his grappling hook. He then proceeded to shoot it into the night, and take a practised leap out into the sky.

A huff from Harley cut through the silence.

"He's such a show-off."

That coaxed a giggle out of the teen there, as her carers both faced her with matching expressions. They enveloped her in a hug from both sides.

"My Flower, I can't believe you did that."

"I had to," she said with a soft smile. "You're the ones that've been looking after me this whole time, and I wouldn't leave for the world."

That prompted them to hug her even closer.

"Sugar, you're too amazing sometimes."

Pink overtook MariQuinn's cheeks.

"But I know that we're not the main reason you refused," the clown drawled. "Are we?"

"U-Uh, well..." she squeeked, glancing between them with a ducked head. Their teasing grins only made her face hotter as she finally confessed, "I just...I can't be with Dami if he's my adopted brother!"

Harley laughed, patting her head. "Hey, don't be embarrassed, Honey. We get it."

Pamela voiced her agreement with an affirmative hum.

"Now, what d'ya say you go call your friend, huh? Jinx'll probably want to talk to you."

"Oh, you're right!" Marinette exclaimed. "Thank you, Aunties!"

She swiftly gave them a hug each, before not-so-subtly running towards her bedroom to where her iPad was.

The couple simply chuckled whilst shaking their heads in amusement.

**~*~*~**

"What did I say?" Jason mused, rubbing a hand against his helmet. "Back at it again with the adopting, B."

"Jason right about something?" Tim murmured. He took another sip from his mug. "Must be the end times."

Dick gave his brother a worried look.

"Boys," Bruce hushed, causing them to go quiet. "That's not the reason I've called you here, Jason."

"You sure? 'Cause you didn't call Demon Spawn."

"I don't want him to know what I'm about to tell you yet," he provided with a straight face. "Since it has something to do with his friend."

"'Friend'?" Red Hood snorted.

Batman didn't even bother to say anything, and instead chose to type on the Bat Computer keyboard. A few seconds passed, until a file appeared on the screen.

Jason squinted at it.

"Demon Spawn's girlfriend was the ladybird girl?" he asked. "Damn. There go the chances of grandkids, B."

"Jaybird!"

"What?" he shrugged. "I'm not wrong."

Bruce sighed heavily. "I've gathered you here to go through all of the information we have on Marinette," he announced. "I have a feeling that there's more in Paris that we don't know about."

Tim placed his cup down. "Like what?" he queried.

"The circumstances that caused Marinette to come here in the first place, for one. There are no tickets to America in her name - whether it be by boat, plane or train - and there's no footage of her anywhere near the borders. She must have come via portal."

"'Portal'? Since when can she teleport?"

Batman opened his mouth to explain, and, as he did so, didn't notice the teen listening in from the shadows at the entrance of the Bat Cave. None of those present did.

Damian narrowed his emerald eyes. A gloved hand casually twirled around a katana in their grip while he watched with gritted teeth.

"Has she got any family or friends?" Tim questioned.

"Yes. Both of her parents are bakers, and are still doing business despite the fact that their daughter is missing," he responded. "One of her best friends is a reporter - her partner is a musician - and another is a model."

"It looks like he's coming to Gotham soon."

"Wait, really?"

"Yep. He's made advertisements and press interviews for it and everything."

Bruce kept quiet while he searched through the model's file, until he spoke collectively to them all with a blank expression.

"Keep an eye on him."

They didn't question his words.


	18. Seventeen

"Bye Felix!"

Said male sent a curt nod Marinette's way, as he readjusted the satchel on his shoulder. Then, with a subtle twitch of the lips portraying his amusement, he strolled off to the stairs leading down below that were nearby.

That left the designer alone - beam gracing her features - to turn around, and be met with the sight of students bustling about all around. Chatter filled the crowed halls from them.

She skillfully weaved between everyone, apologising every so often when nudging a teenager ever so slightly. After that ordeal, she stood to the side of the corridor, hand pulling back her blazer to reveal the large pocket within.

There, munching on a cookie beside Kaalki and Trixx, was Tikki, with a knowing smile plastered on her face. "Your next class is straight ahead," she informed.

"Thank you," Marinette said under her breath, before moving her clothing back to hide the kwami. She ignored the giggles she could hear and feel against her side.

Whilst making her way over to the classroom at the end of the hallway, she waved to familiar people, that returned the gesture every time. It caused a blush to rise to her cheeks.

The girl took in a deep breath. She gripped the handle in front of her and inched open the door in a nervous manner.

Immediately, the scent of coffee and newly printed books filled her nostrils, making her let out a sigh of relief. Her shoulders lost some of their tense, as she walked over to where her desk was.

Situated there was Damian, who was staring out through a window to the side. As she sat at the chair to his left, she greeted, "Hi Dami."

"Hello," he spoke back in a surprisingly level tone, glancing to her then to the board back at the front. "Mr Burnes has given us time to work on a project we have. I was hoping that we could work together on it."

"Oh, okay! What is it about?"

"Culture and Identity. We have to share our origins and past, then present our findings to the class. It is required to say what you have learnt about your partner and if it has changed your viewpoint on them."

"W-What?" Marinette stuttered. "But, I..."

He rose a brow, and a glint of concern shone in his emerald eyes.

"It, it's nothing. So...where do we start?"

"Mr Burnes informed us all of the project before you enrolled here, so I've already created notes of my past. What's left to collect is yours."

After a few moments, she nodded hesitantly, saying, "I guess I'll explain my roots, then..."

Damian proceeded to open up a binded book, that had lines in black running across its pages. He settled his fountain pen to the parchment, and turned to her expectantly.

The female pursed her lips, glancing to the side. "I'm from Paris in France - though I'm sure you already knew where it was - and I was born and raised there."

There was the sound of scribbles to her right for a while, until they paused abruptly and a voice next to her asked, "What nationality are you?"

"French-Chinese. My mother is Chinese from her roots."

"Right."

Silence lingered about for several seconds.

"Your age?"

"17."

"Birthday?"

That was how it went for the next fifteen minutes.

With every question, Marinette felt herself more at ease, with her muscles relaxing and posture practically slouching. She placed her elbows on the table beneath, then leaned her head on her hands.

"Anything in Gotham that is different to Paris?"

"Well...there's much more inspiration here, I'd say. I've lived in the City of Love my whole life, so all of this is so new and refreshing to me."

"Hmm. Is that why you moved here?"

"What?" she quizzed, reflexively snapping her back straight. She turned to Damian, seeing him in the position to write more in his book.

"Did you move to Gotham for inspiration?" he repeated.

"No, I-I didn't really have a choice in coming here."

The older one tilted his head up to meet her gaze in curiosity. "Was it your aunts' choice to come?"

"I..." Marinette trailed off. "...Is it okay if you ask something else? I don't r-really want to answer that."

"Of course," he backtracked, before looking down to write a few words. "I apologise for if that made you uncomfortable in any way."

She shook her head in understanding, when all of a sudden, a realisation struck her mind. Her bluebell eyes found themselves wandering over to his form.

_He usually acts formal when he's lying, or at the very least nervous._

_Hasn't he been acting this way all day?_

With a quick rack through her memories, she registered that her hunch was true, prompting her to study Damian intently whilst he wrote.

_Why would he be nervous? He's only making some-_

_-notes?_

' **Name:** Marinette Dupain-Cheng

 **Nationality:** French-Chinese

 **Age:** 17

 **Parents:** Sabine Cheng, Tom Dupain'

"Damian."

Said boy felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise at her tone, as he craned to face her. Her expression was blank, though one could feel her anger flowing out in waves from a mile off.

" _What_ are you writing?"

"...I am simply noting down-"

" ** _No_** ** _you_** ** _aren't_** ," she denied in a voice similar to a growl. "I didn't tell you who my parents are, nor what my last name is. I know how you found out about all of that, but why are you so keen on researching _me_?"

"I am not-" he began, yet halted when comprehending her words. "-What do you mean you know how I found all of that out?"

Marinette stood up, picking up her spotted backpack and slinging it over her shoulders. Then, she leaned in close as she hissed, "That's not something I care to answer right now, _Robin._ All you need to know is that however much you try to figure out about me, you'll _never_ know what happened. You'll _never_ know what caused me to come here."

As she moved back, she carried on in a now wobbly voice, "You'll never know what I've been through, and you never _ever_ will."

With that, she swiftly made her way out of the classroom, ignoring the looks of pity she gained. When getting out into the corridors, she sprinted through them, and towards a door that had the silhouette of a women in pink plastered to the top of it.

"We're getting out of here, Kaalki," she wavered, releasing the worried horse kwami from her blazer. Tikki and Trixx whizzed out into the open at the same time, and nodded to her in forlorn understanding.

"Tikki, Spots On," she commanded, making a flash of pink burst out from herself. Straight after, she said, "Kaalki, Tikki - Unify."

Out of a pool of pine green energy emerged a figure in red, black and green, who held a hand out in front of them.

"Voyage!"


	19. Eighteen

"Enough about me, Dick. How have you been doing?"

"Oh, pretty well, actually!" said male responded, smiling at the image of his partner on the phone. "The crime rate has been normal in Gotham so far, and no major villains have escaped Arkham yet, so...yeah! Pretty well I guess!"

"That's great to hear," Kor'i spoke, with her lips turned upwards. "What about your family?"

Dick furrowed his brows, and glanced to the side in thought. After a few seconds, he decided on answering, "Well...they're doing great from what I can tell, especially Baby Bird. I'm so proud of him for finding a girlfriend."

There was silence from the other end of the line, causing him to call out, "Honey?"

His voice seemed to break her out of her shock, and she opened her mouth to speak. However, no words were able to escape her, since someone suddenly decided to barge into Dick's room at that very moment.

"Tim?"

"Dick, you need to suit up. Ladybug's been spotted swinging around Gotham."

The man flickered his eyes to a clock nearby, as he doubted, "Shouldn't she be at school right now?"

"Yeah, and so should Damian," his brother replied. "But there was a call from Gotham Academy saying he ran out not that long before Ladybug was seen by the public."

"Crap," he cursed. "He's probably going to go after her as Robin."

The CEO nodded. "We can't have that happening if we want to stick to the plan that we made last night. That model can't know that she's here."

"Dick?" Kor'i said from the phone, making her husband jump. "Who's Ladybug? Is she Damian's girlfriend?"

"I- well..." he started, then cut himself off with a sigh. "She's someone who's been taken in by Harley and Ivy after moving from Paris to Gotham - though we're not exactly sure why. She's a magical hero from back there, and there's a potential danger that one of her old acquaintances could figure out her identity."

"And so you're going to help her keep it safe?"

"Yeah," he hummed in agreement. "She's...she's a really nice girl. Reminds of Mar'i, to be honest. Speaking of which, how is she doing?"

Tim exhaled heavily from behind, and turned to exit the room, but not before bidding, "Just be quick, Dick. Don't wanna miss them kiss or anything."

The quiet gasp and footsteps that he heard on his way out made him grin out of amusement.

**~*~*~**

"Don't worry, my Flower. We'll come to pick up you up soon, just stay put."

"And I'll deal with the situation at school, Sweetie," Harley assured, then reminded, "Don't forget to use your illusions on the Bats if they see you, okay?"

"Okay."

"Love you, Honey."

"Love you too."

The call cut off with an audible click, as Marinette pushed down the top half of her yo-yo back to its original place. Then, she placed it back at the red string situated around her waist.

A faint breeze tousled her midnight hair, that was tied up into a high bun. The cold air that started to seep into her bones made her body visibly shiver, yet she stubbornly refused to move from out of the open.

"...Why can't I just catch a break?" she muttered under her breath. "Is that too much to ask for? One measly second to just, I don't know, enjoy life?"

Ladybug swore that the sound of a snort reached her ears, prompting her to whip her head back to where it had emanated from. There, she was met with the sight of Red Hood, sat at the opposite side of her roof.

"Hey."

"...Hey," she repeated after a second, turning back around. A sigh escaped her lips. "Let me guess... _Robin_ told you what happened at school earlier."

Jason strolled over to where she was sat, and situated himself beside her. "Nope. Just wanted to make sure you were okay. There were reports of you swinging around, aaannnd as far as I can tell, you should be in school right now, Little Missy."

Despite the situation, and after just realising that he knew her identity, a laugh shook the heroine's chest. "Well, it's not my fault Robin decided to find out about my past during lesson-time."

"The Demon Spawn did _what_?"

She sent him a baffled glance.

"Yeah...he was adding the information I gave him to some other notes about what he already knew about me. That included my age, birthday, parents, lineage, etcetera. I just assumed that your whole family had researched my past but wanted to know more from me myself."

He was quiet for a moment, then spoke, "Since I've just confirmed that you know our identities, it makes sense that you'd think that. You're right about all of it, except for the fact that our whole family was involved in researching you."

Marinette rose a brow, and Red Hood took that as a cue to carry on.

"Robin wasn't. Not at all."

The girl's lips parted from confusion, as she processed the words that he had spoken.

That was when there were a few grunts from behind.

Ladybug jumped, whilst rushing to stand up with her yo-yo spinning in a defensive manner. In front of her was a scene that her bluebell eyes managed to take in, causing her to freeze.

Poison Ivy and another woman clad in black were in front of the teen, and staring at two males that had suddenly appeared at the rooftop. Nightwing and Red Robin.

" _What_ were you doing listening into that conversation?" Pamela growled to Dick, as she commanded vines to grab his arms and legs. "It's bad enough that you Bats caused those scratches to be on my Flower's face, and now this?"

"Calm down," Selina placated. "I'm sure they didn't mean it."

Nightwing sent her a thankful look, and she only winked as a response. Tim grinned from where he was standing.

"Replacement, d'ya know where the Demon is?"

"...No, why?"

Jason gained a blank look under his helmet. "Didn't you hear anything that was just said?"

"...I was dr-"

"Drinking coffee, I'm guessing? Never should've asked." He turned to Selina, asking, "Anyway, what's with the new look? I thought you were supposed to have cat ears on your costume, right? Cause, well, you know..."

Ladybug silently walked over to Poison Ivy, who wrapped her in a hug using her arms and plants. The action made the young one sigh in content, as the winds blowing harsh didn't affect her anymore.

Red Hood waited for an answer from Cat Woman, yet she only leaned in close to whisper at his helmet's ear. "Tell B that me and him need to talk. It's about..."

She subtly glanced to Marinette.

"Right, I will," Jason agreed. "I'd advise that you girls get out of here. We can't warrant any attention to Cupcake over there."

" _Cupcake_?"

"I called her Princess before, and by that look on your face I can tell that it wasn't a good idea on my part."

"It wasn't. I'll tell B why when we talk. Just remember to remind him, I know he can be forgetful."

**~*~*~**

At an apartment block nearby, a figure grinned from the shadows, with their emerald eyes glinting in the dark.

A few rooftops away from the vigilantes, a teenager was perched, with a hand held to the comm in their ear. Their face earned a guilty expression.


	20. Nineteen

"It's been a while, hasn't it, Brucie?"

Batman didn't react to the question. He merely raised a brow, whilst keeping his back facing to whoever had spoken. "It's been less than half a week since we've seen each other."

"Oh, really?" Cat Woman teased, finally deciding to meld out of the shadows. Her jet black suit and pointed claws shone from the lights around the Bat Cave.

"It wasn't hard to figure out that you stole jewellery from the Manor last Tuesday, Selina," the vigilante said, turning around to gaze upon her.

She pouted. "'Stole'? I prefer the word _borrow._ Makes it seem less..."

"Criminal?" he supplied.

"You got that right, Brucie," she agreed, walking closer. "Besides...I got that bracelet for an important reason. You saw her wearing it, didn't you? If you ask me, I think it suits her very well."

There was a moment of silence. He didn't object - he only sighed and took off the cowl masking his identity.

"I assume that you want to talk about Marinette?"

Selina became serious. "Yes," she responded. "But first I want you to tell me what you know about the superhero situation that happened in Paris."

He pursed his lips. "From what I managed to gather there was a villain named Hawk Moth, that was able to transform civilians into monsters. Two heroes, who had the same sources of power as him, stepped up to save Paris."

Cat Woman nodded, indicating for him to carry on.

"They gained many other allies that took on personas of animals, too. Hawk Moth also gained a partner named Mayura, who could make monsters from scratch. Marinette Dupain-Cheng was known as Ladybug, Chloe Bourgeois as Queen Bee, Adrien Agreste as-"

"Chat Noir," she muttered beneath her breath, venom laced in her tone.

"...I hope that you're not jealous of his theme."

" _Jealous?_ As if," she scoffed. "He's the whole reason that Marinette is here in the first place."

Batman narrowed his eyes. "Am I right in saying that he forced her to leave behind her life in Paris?"

"In a sense, yes," the woman replied. "You don't know the full story, but let me set something straight. He caused all of the trauma that she has now."

" _All_ of it?"

She nodded. "Her fear of the name 'Princess'? Stems from him. Her fear of cat ears? Her fear of unexpected touch? Shadows? Dust? Sometimes even _b_ _l_ _onds_? All him."

Though Bruce had a blank expression, those close to him would notice his stiff posture and silence as a sign of anger. He took a moment to take a breath, then quizzed, "How are we going to deal with him?"

Cat Woman shook her head. "That's not what the focus should be. The real question is how we are going to tell Marinette that he's here."

"You know?"

"Yeah. Apparently he arrived not even a week ago in Gotham. I say that if we're going to break it to her, we do it out of public sight. God knows what her reaction would be."

"Would it be angry?"

"It would be panic," she revealed. "Heck, Chat Noir killed someone close in front of her very eyes. She'd probably be scared that he'd do it again to any of us."

Batman grit his teeth. "We could have stopped that if we knew the situation."

"Bruce," she called, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, don't blame yourself. Paris agreed to not inform the Justice League in case one of the members turned into a villain. There was no way you could've known."

"I know, but-"

"No arguing, Brucie. What's important now is figuring out how to beat that model to a pulp, and tell my Kitten about it."

He snapped his head up to her. " _Your_ Kitten?"

The thief's mouth twisted into a cheshire grin. "I called dibs, Brucie, so I'm afraid that she's to be _my_ kid."

A grunt escaped him. "At least she'll be my daughter-in-law in the future."

"Doubt it," she clicked with her tongue. "Those two had an argument, remember? Oh yeah, that reminds me. How's Damian doing? He better have apologised to her."

"He hasn't," someone spoke from the side, prompting the duo to glance there. "He was sulking all morning and snapped at anyone that came close. Apart from Alfred, of course."

" _Jason._ "

"What? You have a conversation about Pixie and expect us _not_ to listen?"

Dick appeared beside Red Hood. "Bruce, there's been reports of someone dressed like a black cat on the rooftops throughout today. Chat Noir might see Ladybug if she goes out again."

Selina let out a curse. "Okay, I'll only tell her not to transform for now."

"Good," Batman spoke.

"Wait, 'transform'?"

"I'll explain later if I can, Dick. Where is she right now?" Cat Woman questioned.

"Gotham Academy," Jason answered, inspecting the watch around his wrist. "Classes should be ending soon, so you can probably pick her up and tell her then."

"Great. You guys call Damian and tell him to keep an eye on her."

"Haven't they like had a temporary breakup or something?"

" _Jaybird._.." Dick sighed, pinching the skin between his brows.

**~*~*~**

"What do you want, Todd?"

"Yo, Damian, we need you to keep an eye on Pixie."

Damian couldn't help the way his body tensed, nor how his eyes wandered over to a desk nearby. At it sat five students - one of which had midnight hair pulled into pigtails.

"Why?"

"Listen..." Jason spoke, in a tone on the edge of exasperation. "I get you're guilty and all about what happened yesterday, but you need to make sure she's okay until school ends. I know you heard our plan to keep her identity from the model, and watching her will make sure that she's safe. Don't you want that?"

The teen glanced back at Marinette again, then down to the desk in front of him. He clenched his fists whilst thoughts ran through his mind, until he finally let out an inaudible sigh.

"Yes, I do. I'll watch over her."

"Good. Selina'll be outside to pick her up."

Just before Damian pressed the button to end the call, his brother called, "Oh, and Demon Spawn?"

He grunted in annoyance.

"Apologise to your girlfriend."

There was a beep from his phone.

A blush flooded his cheeks, yet he managed to cough into his hand and lessen the red dusting his features. His focus began to drift over to Marinette, who was now chatting excitedly to her peers.

The male tried to ignore the increased pulse of his heart.

**~*~*~**

"Pam!"

"Yes?"

"Did you get that message from Selina?"

"What message?"

Harley sauntered over to where Poison Ivy was standing, and held out her phone. The text displayed on it made her drop the watering can in her hands.

"...Harley?"

"Yeah, Honey?" she responded in a sugar-sweet tone, grin stretching across her face.

"Get Bud and Lou ready. We have a certain cat to skin."

The clown chuckled. "I'll get 'em ready. Then we can go sick 'em on that model boy and bake more cookies with Sweet Cheeks!"


	21. Twenty

"Oh my god, Marinette. You're a life-saver."

Said girl giggled, whilst gazing at the person who had spoken. They were currently stuffing croissants into their mouth at a frantic pace - bliss on their expression. "Calm down, Allegra. You wouldn't want to cause yourself a stomach ache."

"Who cares about a stomach ache when you get to have _these_?" Claude scoffed. "This beats my breakfast any day."

Marinette blushed with a bashful chuckle. She turned to the student at the desk beside her, quizzing, "Do you want another, Felix?"

He rose a brow, glancing at her in a questioning manner. When she nodded with a bright smile, he hesitantly reached out to grab a cinnamon bun from her tray. On top was a layer of sweet strawberry jam, and it had a filling of pale white buttercream.

"Do you need help on any homework?"

"Oh! No I don't, Allen. Thank you for offering though!"

"You're aware that he only asked because he wanted to trade answers, right Marinette?" Felix deadpanned, making Allen clutch at his heart in false hurt.

She laughed. "I know. I can help you with your French, don't worry."

"What did I say? A life-saver."

Conversation carried on for a few more minutes, consisting of chatter, amusement and talks of school. Marinette let out a discreet sigh of relief. She pointedly ignored the stare that she could sense on her form.

"Hey, Mari?"

She hummed for Allegra to carry on.

"You're from Paris, right?"

The bluenette made eye contact with the blonde. Silence stretched for a dozen moments, until she replied, "Yes...why?"

"That's cool. Do you know who this is? It says on Wikipedia that they're from there."

"Allegra, I've informed you before that it is-"

"Unreliable, _I know_ , but who cares? Mrs Rignoll never catches us using it for our Physics homework, anyway."

She held out her phone, which Marinette slowly took in confusion. The screen that met her had a plethora of text and sources, along with an image that was bold and bright of a boy no younger than her.

He had shining hair, a shade the same as Felix's, and forest green eyes that sparkled with mischief. On his chest was a striped onyx shirt and a light grey jacket. It wasn't possible to tell what else he was wearing, but she had a correct guess already planted in her mind.

"Mari, are you okay? You're looking a little pale," Claude noted, unknowingly catching the attention of more than a few classmates in the room. One a decent distance away narrowed their emerald eyes.

"W-Why did you show me this? How, how did you find out about him?"

"He's visiting Gotham Academy next week."

" _ **What?**_ "

There were a few flinches.

Damian placed his phone back into his pocket, and gripped another item tight in his hand. It had a beeping red dot on its surface.

The teacher at the front - Mr Holmes - gained a concerned expression. "Marinette, are you alright? Would you like to step outside for a minute?"

It felt like there was a weight crushing her chest. The designer stumbled back, clutching at her heart as troubled pants escaped her. She watched with glossy eyes as many tried to get close, just before a familiar friend came into view.

"Angel, it's okay. He's not here, just breathe with me," Damian soothed, hesitating for a second then placing his hands on her shoulders. She didn't notice the item he clipped to the back of her jacket. "Selina's going to arrive soon, just stay with me."

"Chat's coming..." Marinette breathed, thoughts rushing through her mind faster than she could comprehend. "I-I have to go..."

"No, Angel, wait-"

She rushed past him, making her way over to the door as she quickly pulled out a pair of rose gold spectacles. Damian didn't falter in his decision to follow.

**~*~*~**

"Voyage!"

Marinette leapt through the portal, not hearing the frantic call of her name from behind. What met her was a cozy living room filled with furniture and vines, that she immediately relaxed at the sight of.

"Auntie Harley? Ivy?"

The quiet that followed was soon broken by several kwami popping their heads up out of their hiding spots. Tikki whizzed into view as they began to speak.

"Guardian? What are you doing home so early?" Barkk asked.

"Isss something wrong?"

"Marinette, listen to me!" the ladybug god exclaimed in her squeaky voice. She placed her paws on the girl's cheeks. "Calm down, okay? Let's just ring your aunts and tell them that-"

"What? That Adrien is here? _Chat Noir_ is here? In Gotham? Where he could find me with just a quick look on the news?"

"Well..."

"I need to get out of here! Kaalki, Dismount."

A flash of green shone, revealing her in school attire once it died down. She practically sprinted to where the Miracle Box was on a nearby shelf, and snatched it in a hasty grab. Her hands placed the glasses on her nose inside, along with the necklace that she adorned.

"Guardian, please reconsider," Wayzz pled. "We can ask your friends for help on the matter. They are heroes, after all."

"Wayzz, I'm not leaving Gotham, I swear. I just have to lead Chat Noir away from here. Maybe to the outskirts of the city? Gosh, I'm not even sure anymore. I...I just can't let him get to anyone."

"I...if you're sure."

She walked over to the balcony of the place, and scanned about until she noticed a blur of purple at a bundle of flower pots. "Nooroo? Duusu? We have to leave. It's an emergency."

**~*~*~**

"Damn it!"

"Watch it, Demon Spawn. That's an expensive table."

Damian growled beneath his breath. He stalked over to the Bat Computer as Jason carried on, "You had _one_ job: look after Cupcake. You couldn't even do that."

"Jaybird, stop," Dick hushed, before assuring, "We'll find her, Little Wing. Don't worry."

"We better. God knows what Selina'll do when she finds out that she's gone," Tim commented.

Bruce stalked in - seemingly from the shadows - with a blank expression. "Selina is on her way now from Gotham Academy. She's told Harley and Pamela of the situation. They've gone out to look for Marinette."

Damian sighed. He turned his head to the screen again. It showed a map of Gotham, which included all of the streets, alleys and even buildings. Not even a minute before there had been a red dot visible at the hideout of Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, yet now it had disappeared.

"Is she teleporting or something?"

"No. It seems that she's not even anywhere at all. My only guess could be that she is currently transformed."

"Crap," Red Robin cursed. "That means that Chat Noir will see her, since it's broad daylight. I'm gonna head out and try to find her."

"Wait!"

The family turned to Damian in unison, only to see him pointing at a blinking dot on the TV. It was frozen in place, meaning that the thing, _person_ , the tracking device was on wasn't moving.

"She's at a warehouse on the outskirts of Gotham."

"And not transformed by the looks of it," Batman noted, narrowing his eyes. "Boys, we need to get there fast and keep an eye out for Chat Noir."

"Make sure that you don't scare her," Robin advised. "She had a panic attack back in class. It wouldn't be good to cause another."

Jason raised a brow. He leaned over to whisper to Tim, "Dang. The Demon's _whipped._ "

"I know, right?" he agreed in the same hushed tone. "Think we'll be hearing wedding bells soon?"

"Drake!"

"Okay, time to go!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luv u guys 💜


	22. Twenty-One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Honey, you got a big storm comin.

Ladybug threw her yo-yo out, not even bothering to check where it ended up as she leaped off of another rooftop. A crowd of civilians on the ground stared up at her in horror, until she swung up and halted her descent.

Her shoes - that were ruby red at the soles - pounded against wet concrete. Droplets of light rain stuck to her locks, messing up her perfect hairdo and forcing her to readjust her fringe every minute or so.

She sprinted straight forward on the top of a factory, whilst chancing a quick glance down to her weapon. It was split in half to reveal a small screen, that had marked on a map somewhere not that far from her current location.

"Almost there..." the girl mumbled to herself, just as she caught a glimpse of her destination. She launched up and landed with a whisper of noise on a warehouse roof, then broke a loose vent and jumped in.

A sigh escaped her lips. Marinette clipped off the Miracle Box attached to her waist and placed it at a pile of dusty furniture. Clutter and mess lay scattered about the spacious place, along with puddles of water from various stray leaks.

"Tikki, Spots Off."

Pink washed over her form, revealing a teenager adorning a Gotham Academy uniform. She grabbed her spotted backpack and began to stuff the box in, but not before allowing most of the kwami to float around freely.

"Marinette, why did you not just use Kaalki to teleport here?" Tikki quizzed, her squeaky voice being one of the only noises around.

"I can't let Gotham or any news see that other miraculous exist, let alone that I can transport myself anywhere in the world," she explained. "It's best to stay here and wait for any confirmation of Chat Noir. Then we can go confront him."

" _'We'?_ But, Guardian, it is dangerous to use more than one miraculous at once!"

"I know, Mullo," the designer started. "But I have to save Plagg and Xuppu. It- it's my fault that they're stuck with him in the first place." Her tone became strained at the last words.

She zipped up her backpack, and placed it to the side. In her grasp were several miraculous - the ones of the Snake, Butterfly, Fox, Bee and Dragon.

"I knew I should have taken the Rabbit miraculous from Alix," she muttered, as she placed on each respective piece of jewellery. However, when coming to the purple brooch she hesitated for a few moments.

A violet kwami whizzed up to her shoulder. "I understand, Guardian. You don't have to wear the Butterfly if you don't want to since I...I can understand why."

Marinette quirked her lips. She reached out to hold the god in her palms as she spoke softly, "Nooroo, I don't blame you. _No one_ does. What Hawk Moth did is not your fault."

"Yes, but..." he admonished, with his wings drooping down in a sad manner. She simply decided to nuzzle him close, and instead pocket the brooch in her blazer.

Trixx suddenly flew in front of the two, a phone held in her paws. "Looks like you're popular, Kit."

The female's eyes widened. "Oh merde, I forgot to ring them! I should probably do that so they know that I'm okay!" she realised, grabbing the device whilst sitting up into a less-slouched posture.

There was a **clink** at her shoulder.

"What...?" Marinette breathed, glancing to where the noise had come from. "Guys, is there something on my back?"

Several kwami scanned over her blazer, including Pollen, who gasped. "My Monarch, it appears that there is a gadget attached to you."

She must have gained a questioning look on her face, since Sass elaborated, "It appearsss that you have been tracked."

" _Tracked?_ "

**~*~*~**

"She's in here?"

"For the thousandth time, Demon Spawn, yes. Now go down there and get your girl."

Robin levelled a glare at Jason, that lost its impact with the way his cheeks were dusted in pink. He sighed in preparation, before peeling back a loose vent cover and crawling through. The metal tunnel he ended up in was short, yet the space within the warehouse was anything but.

He planted himself on dry ground, which had masses of carpet and clothing strewn about all over it. His brothers followed, and they soon started to search their surroundings.

After a dozen or so seconds, there was a tap at his shoulder. "What?" Damian hissed, turning to face Nightwing. The man simply pointed behind him with a worried expression.

His breath caught in his throat when he realised who was nearby. There, across the area they were stood in, was Marinette. Her back muscles were tense from what he could tell. There was also a lack of the beeping tracker that he had clipped there before.

Robin took slow, hesitant steps forward. He brought out a hand and reached to place it on her shoulder. "Angel? It's m-"

He was cut off by Marinette grabbing his arm, and using it to flip him over and onto the floor harshly. The whole world twisted upside-down, and he groaned from the impact.

"D-Damian?" she squeaked.

"That's the Brat, alright," someone chuckled, causing her to whip around and prepare her body for an oncoming blow. What she didn't expect was for the person to hold their hands up and placate, "It's just us, Cupcake."

The bluenette let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "What are you doing here?"

"We've come to get you out of here," Tim replied, stepping a few feet closer. "Selina and your aunts are on their way now."

Her eyes widened. "Wait, what? No, you have to get them out of here!" she exclaimed. "Chat Noir is dangerous. He's capable of murder, nevermind hurting you all."

"Cupcake, we'll be okay," Red Hood assured. "We've been brought up to speed with his powers."

"No, that's not it. He, he has _another_ miraculous. I'm afraid I don't know what'll happen if you guys come into contact with its power, but I don't think I want to."

Damian slowly sat up with the help of Dick, as he clutched his side. "He has two?" At her nod he carried on, "What is the other one that he has?"

"The Monkey miraculous of Jubilation. It grants the ability to summon an item, like my Lucky Charm, but it can be used to disrupt someone's powers."

"So...he can beat you with it?" Red Robin thought aloud, hand poised at his chin.

Marinette sighed. "Yes. That doesn't mean that I can't beat _him,_ though. I'm going to use the other miraculous as well as my earrings."

"We don't like the idea, but it's our best chance at defeating him."

Robin jolted, snapping his head to the source of the voice. Only, what he was met with was the sight of many animal-themed creatures settled on Marinette's lap.

"Who in the name of f-"

" _Red Hood._ "

"-rick are they?"

"Kwami. They inhabit the miraculous."

"Oh, of course."

The girl rose a brow at Tim. "You don't seem that surprised by all this."

Nightwing grinned, and moved to wrap an arm around the vigilante's shoulders. "Trust me, he is. It'll just take a while for him to process it all thanks to the coffee he's been having."

"Ah, I see you're a fellow coffee-lover."

"Aren't we all?" Red Robin recited dramatically, making the older ones around him groan. Marinette giggled, covering her mouth to smother her amusement.

There was a whimper to her left.

She glanced to the god on her shoulder, and was surprised to see how his body was shaking in apparent fear. "Nooroo, are you okay? What's wrong?"

His answer was interrupted by Jason speaking up. "Guys, someone's activated the sensor. They're coming over here."

Marinette sucked in a breath, breathing, "What?"

That was when there was a **thump** on the roof of the warehouse. Those present all stood up in defence, whilst the female there flicked a finger against her earrings and spoke out her signature command.

Just as her transformation took over, a muffled shout rung out from where the noise before had been. A sound akin to water bubbling suddenly flooded her ears, and she gasped at the familiarity of it.

The metal sheltering them became a rusted brown, then disintegrated in front of their eyes. Ladybug bit the inside of her gum, and slowly tilted her head up.

A shadow grinned from above when she met its gaze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 😌


	23. Twenty-Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 😊

"Well, well, well..." a voice crooned. "If it isn't my Purrincess with a bunch of _boys._ "

Marinette panted, her arms and pupils trembling as she inched back in trepidation. Damian - catching the action out of the corner of his vision - moved to stand protectively in front of her.

The figure leapt down onto the ground, landing with no semblance of noise in a crouch. Stray lights at the walls of the warehouse provided the ability to take in his leather outfit, that melded with the shadows and night.

Chat Noir slowly tilted his head up to meet Ladybug's gaze, yet a glint of something dangerous flashed in them when noticing Robin close by. He grinned, and it gave them a view of his pointed teeth.

"Looks like you've made some friends while I've been away, Princess," he mused aloud. "But that doesn't matter. It'll just make it all the more satisfying when I finally get my paws on you."

The girl shivered, before she watched as he stood up and pulled out his silver baton. Damian turned slightly to whisper, "Angel, get out of here. We'll deal with him."

"You can't, he's too strong," she denied, tears of both frustration and fear welling up in her eyes. "He's already murdered someone without regret. Who says he won't kill you guys as well?"

He bit his lip, then said after a moment of hesitation, "Fine. Just- be careful."

She nodded in understanding, and walked to his side to get into an offensive stance against Adrien. Said person smirked, and split his staff into two halves. He twirled them about with nimble fingers, as everyone else charged forward.

Nightwing went in for a hit with his escrima sticks, that were flowing with volts of electricity. However, Chat's weapon blocked the attack, and turned them back into him.

A bo-staff knocked them out of the way, and the model growled beneath his breath. He grabbed an arm, one he didn't know the owner of, by the elbow and hurled it several metres away.

The cat ears atop his head flicked to the side as he heard an all too familiar tune. He snapped his gaze to the source, only to see Marinette wearing a mixture of fox and ladybird whilst she blew through an orange flute.

"Mirage!"

White covered everyone's sight. Then, after a few seconds, it died down to reveal dozens of copies of the vigilantes in the room. Robin rose a brow, but nonetheless copied their positions like his brothers.

Chat Noir grit his teeth, as he rushed to attach the ends of his baton into one and extend it. He swung in a wide arc, causing the illusions to scatter and a few to disappear out of existence.

There was a sting at his stomach, and he winced as an instinct. Emerald eyes whipped to the gun that had shot the rubber bullet, which was held by Red Hood. He clenched his fists and lunged for the man, only for him to change into dust on impact.

Adrien scanned the foes he was fighting, before springing up and onto a section of roof that hadn't been disintegrated. Consecutive beeps began to emanate from the ring around one of his fingers, and a growl bubbled in his throat at the noise. He tapped a claw at his mess of wild blond locks, and a golden circlet formed there.

From behind a mist of magic nearby, Marinette sucked in a breath when seeing the Monkey miraculous. She watched as Xuppu materialised out of thin air, and glanced about with a look of sadness. His ears perked up with a burst of hope as he made eye contact with her.

"Xuppu, Show-"

Chat Noir's exclamation was cut off by the harsh kick on his back from nowhere, that sent him careening straight through LadyFox's illusional cover. She grunted from the force, and scrambled to stand up. However, the sharp hand gripping her ankle prevented her from doing so.

All of a sudden, something wrapped around his waist, and held him to the ground. He hissed, and clawed at what he realised to be a vine until it let him out of its clutches.

With a flip to steady himself, he warily glanced around until noticing the new figures that had landed within the warehouse. The one that had commanded the plant to grab him - Poison Ivy - made another bring Marinette over to safety with them.

"Aunties..." Marinette breathed, as she partially let loose her transformation so that only the ladybird aspect was left. She sighed in relief when the women began to fuss over her in worry, including Selina.

The teen across from them snarled, "Xuppu, Showtime." After a flash of green, he became visible again, only this time with an extremely dark brown outfit and a Ruyi Jingu Bang in his grip.

He turned to Plagg at his side, and pushed him into one of his pockets before zipping it tight. "Power up," he commanded in a mutter. "I'll need to use you later when I get my Princess back."

Batman grabbed a few Batarangs and held them between his fingers, whilst Cat Woman bared her pointed claws. Pamela readied her focus.

"Harley..." Ladybug started quietly, catching said clown's attention. "I...I need to ask you a favour," she whispered, as she held out her palm and revealed a blue bracelet.

Harley gasped, making everyone turn to them. Marinette shook her head at her allies, giving them the only signal they needed to charge at the King Monkey copycat, and ignore the two for now.

"Sugar, are you serious?" she squealed. "But I've only used this once for fun back at our place!"

The girl blushed at the word 'fun', and subtly tried to avoid peeking at Pamela nearby. "I know, but if you could watch our backs and use Second Chance when needed, that would give us an even better advantage. Maybe Auntie Ivy could keep you safe?"

She nodded, and took the miraculous to place around her wrist. "Don't worry, Honey. _We'll_ keep ya safe, no need to worry about us," she promised, as she pat Ladybug's flushed form on the head.

"Thank you."

Bluebell eyes scanned the scene behind them, not even blinking when there was an aqua flash of light to their side. Marinette hummed in contemplation, and soon reached to touch one of the pendants at the hollow of her neck.

"Tikki, Longg," she started, holding two hands out before pressing them together at her heart. "Unify!"

Black and gold spiraled around her leg, and gave way to a symbol on her chest. She allowed herself only a second to steady the rush of adrenaline as she called, "Lightning Dragon!"

A yellow bolt whizzed past the heroes battling, and formed into her right in front of Chat Noir. One of the symbol's components lost its colour. "Water Dragon!" Dragonbug yelled, provoking her whole form to turn into a rush of water that flew his way.

Robin held a hand out to stop her efforts, but could only watch as Adrien clawed at the liquid until it morphed into her again. She choked, and stared down in terror at the arm holding her by the throat tightly.

"M'Lady..." he purred, bringing her closer.

Across the warehouse, a pair of eyes widened at the sight. "Second Chance!"

Harley Quinn breathed out a sigh, checking her surroundings in panic. There was a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to see her partner with a creased brow. "Ivy, get Mari here now!" she exclaimed. "Don't let her get to cat boy!"

A vine snapped out to Ladybug's mouth, covering it just as she was about to recite a unification. Another gently held her by the waist and carried her over to where the two women were, much to her confusion.

**~*~*~**

"Robin."

Damian turned to Marinette, panting lightly as he did so. She cradled his face with a gloved hand, being careful not to touch his newly-formed bruises. A light pink dusted his features.

"Angel, are you okay?"

"Dami, w-what do you mean _me_? Are _you_?" she quizzed, worry laced in her tone. "You've taken some really bad hits."

He clenched his fists. "Yes, it's just that he's impervious to our technology. Smoke bombs, tazers, blades...even netting that we've attempted to place on him."

She grimaced. "...Which is why I want to give you something, Dami."

He rose a brow, and looked down to see her holding out a white butterfly. With delicacy, he let it rest on his index finger as she split her yo-yo in half with a swipe. She pulled out a brooch from the abyss within it, and soon gazed at the jewellery with hesitance from her palm.

"Angel?"

"I-I want you to let me akumatize you."

"Guardian, are you sure?" Nooroo asked, with his little wings shaking slightly out of nervousness. "You may regret you're decision. It could be dangerous."

Robin breathed through his nostrils to calm his nerves. "It won't be. I agree to it," he decided, forcing his will to become strong. He closed his eyes in preparation.

Ladybug placed the miraculous at her neck, and suddenly felt a rush of emotion flood her senses. She stumbled back, causing Damian to catch her in surprise as her chest rose and fell at a fast pace. Her pupils were now dilated and glossy.

"D-Damian...he, I-I can't..."

"Angel, calm down. I'm right here with you," he placated. "You can take it off if you want, it's not compulsory to use it."

"N-No, you don't understand..." she whispered, clutching him as her eyes slowly started to focus on one spot. "He, he's akumatized."

"What? Who?"

"Chat Noir...a-and he has been this whole time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 😁😁


	24. Twenty-Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quite a bit of action, not as much speech. They gotta defeat Chat ╮(╯▽╰)╭ no time for chatting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me if there are any grammatical errors 😊.

Marinette grabbed onto Robin's cloak - her fingers latching on like a vice until her knuckles turned white. He rubbed her back, providing a sense of calmness as she attempted to level the thoughts scrambling throughout her head.

Half a minute soon passed, in which her breathing evened until it became normal. Bluebell eyes lost their misty look. Her petite body stopped in its shaking.

Ladybug tilted her head to the side, meeting her gaze with Nooroo's. "A-All this time?" she stuttered, while a glint of betrayal shone in her pupils. "Why didn't you tell me?"

The kwami flew forward in a blur, bumping against her cheek as he hugged it with tiny paws. He exclaimed, "I am so sorry, Guardian! Gabriel forbade me from doing so before my miraculous was removed from him. There was no one who wore it after to undo his command and allow me to warn you of Chat Noir!"

She blinked, processing his words. A pair of hands - red at the fingertips - cupped him in their palms, then stroked the swirl atop his forehead to provide comfort. "It's okay..." the girl whispered. "I, as owner of the Butterfly miraculous, allow you to be free of all commands from your previous holder, Nooroo."

Damian's lips twitched up, as he watched the god cuddle up to his friend with fluttering wings. She giggled, giving it one last peck before glancing up at him. Pink dusted his features, making him turn slightly away out of embarrassment.

"I think I have a plan to save Chat Noir," she declared. "We have to break his bell, the akumatized object. That way we can capture the akuma, cast the Miracle Cure and bring him back."

His brows furrowed. "From my research on Paris, Hawk Moth was able to remove akuma of his own volition. Can you not do so, Angel?"

She shook her head. "I wish I could, but I haven't unlocked the full potential of the miraculous's power due to my age. The most I could do is create one, which is what I want to do. If you're still willing to get akumatized, of course. I won't force you."

He flicked his eyes between Nooroo and her, contemplating in his mind, then gained a resolute expression. "I'm willing, Angel."

Marinette smiled. "Tikki, Nooroo," she started, holding out her hands as symbols materialised at her sides. "Unify!"

**~*~*~**

"Uproar!"

Intricate swirls of orange and brown curled around Adrien's weapon, giving way to an object that manifested out of nowhere. It was an onyx plush, shaped in the face of a cat, that had two green buttons sewn in to represent irises.

A smirk formed on his lips as he stepped forward, holding out the item to the group of vigilantes in front of him. Batman narrowed his eyes, whilst himself and his sons pulled out several Batarangs and hurled them the teen's way.

He dodged skillfully, weaving between them with the grace of an animal, then proceeded to leap up - bouncing off of a nearby wall to increase the height he reached. Time seemed to slow down. In a swift move that none expected, Adrien threw the toy in his hands down below.

Pamela flicked her wrist, provoking a stray vine to snap into action and leave it to clatter onto the ground. What she didn't notice, however, was the magic that seeped into her plant and the ones all around, infusing them with chaos and mischief.

Chat, in his costume of browns and black, cackled from his perch on the rafters spanning the roof of the warehouse. "That worked out just as planned," he mused aloud. "Now I can get my Purrincess without any of you _heroes_ interrupting."

Tim found his brows raising, as he scanned about in confusion. That was when his vision tilted, along with this whole body as he was slammed into a brick wall not even a few metres away. Sharp leaves danced across his cheek, threatening to draw blood. Splinters almost pierced the kevlar keeping him protected.

"Red-"

The call, that had come from Nightwing, was promptly cut off by his own grunt from the impact of a vine restraining him to the ground. He cursed, feeling both of the escrima sticks in his possession slip out of his hands. Batman and Red Hood were shoved beside him, one of them having a flustered Cat Woman kept to their chest.

Harley gasped, reaching to twist the teal bracelet coiled around one of her wrists. The attempt, though, was halted by Adrien. He jumped to the floor, bringing his Ruyi Jingu Bang into sight, and hit the clown across the head without any sign of regret. She slumped, hitting a mess of carpet with an echoing **thump**.

There was silence for a few moments, that consisted of his heavy inhalations heard throughout the whole building. Then, a chuckle shook his chest. It was dark with a layer of condescending, giving the perfect crescendo to his loud footsteps in the direction of Harley.

The male yanked her arm up, his nails digging into her pale skin as his hand inched closer and closer to the Snake miraculous. A grin overtook his expression, giving a view of his remorseless eyes that radiated a sick sense of victory. The ring on his finger burned as a reminder of the thrashing kwami in his zipped pocket.

All of a sudden, a pointed blade came into contact with his palm. He winced, pulling it back and leaving the bracelet to latch onto the metal article that had appeared. Chat snapped his head to where it flew, only to see it change focus in the air like a boomerang and zip back to someone behind him.

Irises slit. "Claws out," a boy commanded, causing a flash of green to surround his form and tousle his blond locks into a messy style. Leather moulded perfectly to his ligaments. A bell tinkled eerily in the quiet that thickened the atmosphere.

"You won't be getting to Marinette if that is what you're hoping for," a person spoke in a monotonous manner. He turned around, gazing upon the figure as they carried on, "Because she _doesn't_ belong to you."

They were dressed in garments of green, red and black - though the shades were dark and unsettling enough to leave him feeling a sense of challenge. The ruby spanning their outfit glinted in the worst of places, giving off the effect that blood was smeared over his knuckles and more. Violet sclera shone from behind a parakeet mask. Katana and swords sat in resignated spots along a golden belt.

"I'm afraid she _does,_ Robin," Chat Noir countered, whilst taking out a baton and twirling it between his claws. "She's belonged to me ever since the day we battled StoneHeart years ago."

Damian growled beneath his breath. Nimble fingers brought out a katana, that reflected light and danger off of its gleaming surface. The handle held a pale butterfly - symbolising the one who had bestowed it upon him. Its sheath was left on the ground as he positioned himself into an offensive stance.

His opponent did the same in accordance, and without a second to lose, they both charged forward. Silver and metal slammed against each other viciously, sending sparks of magic flying as they battled for dominance. Punches powered by enhanced strength and stamina were sent, dealing damage that left the two staggering yet still determined.

Robin grit his teeth, pursing his lips as his mind focused in on any weaknesses. Though it was hard to distinguish any from the constant action, his eyes caught onto the fact that Chat utilised one move in particular. He smirked slightly, while taking another stab with ease that forced his enemy to stumble back.

Then - as the vigilante expected - Adrien crouched down, sliding a leg beneath his in an attempt to trip him over. However, he dodged the move by springing up and twisting his body, and aiming at just the right angle to launch a harsh kick to his face.

Chat Noir grunted. He spat out a wad of blood to the side, wincing as he sensed the bruise at his cheek that would undoubtedly be forming in the future. Emerald met violet, causing him to see the upturning of Robin's lips.

The sight alone made a burst of adrenaline surge through his veins, allowing the villain to bounce back up in a quick leap and lunge forward. His nails were bared, as were his knife-like fangs as he growled a command in the silent warehouse.

"Cataclysm!"

Nightwing sucked in a breath. He fought with intense fervour at the vines keeping him stuck, trying fruitlessly to escape their grasp as everything around froze. The two teenagers became mere inches apart.

Just as bubbles of destruction were about to slam into his front, Damian seized the wrists aiming for his neck, keeping them in suspension. This time, violet pupils made contact with shocked green ones, then flicked up to a figure ( _Marinette_ ) in the shadows above. She nodded.

Her friend almost constricted the blood flow to Chat's fingertips by the time he let go, only to flip him onto his stomach and press a Batarang into his nearby hand ladled with magic. It turned a rusted brown, then melded into particles of dust soon after.

"You rely on your powers too much."

Adrien hissed. Realisation dawned on him as he thrashed about, but the upgraded grappling look that had now been wound around him kept him immobile.

"Venom!"

Black spots and yellow stripes flashed in the corner of his vision, before a sting emanating from his shoulder spread to the whole of his body. It left a tingle that numbed his senses until his surroundings became a simple blur. His whole form lay limp - sagged.

LadyBee pulled off the bell at the hollow of his neck. She studied it, almost in a daze for several long moments, then tensed until it was crushed and had cracks all over.

An akuma materialised out from one. Its wings were a hypnotic indigo that fluttered in a circle around her head, before deciding to settle on the tip of her nose. She stared, sensing the emotion sending her eyes misty and welling.

A tear rolled down her cheek. The trail that streaked her skin, however, was soon wiped away by a warm hand. The owner of it tilted her chin in his direction. Worry was apparent on his features.

That was all it took for a sob to finally shake her chest.


End file.
